The Wolves and The Witches
by CrazyAna
Summary: What happens when two of the best witches are sent back in time to help change a particularly nasty past? If you wish to know, drop me a review after you read this! Or make your own fantasies. Haha! Enjoy! PS: I've rated it T for now, but if I do continue it, it will probably bump up to M.. Come on its GoT, there's only so much one can clean up!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: All the credits go to the extremely talented J.K. Rowling & R. R. Martin! Abig round of applause for them please!

 **The Wolves and The Witches**

 **AN:** Okay, so this is what I've been toying with for the past few weeks. But I'm debating whether to proceed with it or not. Especially given that I'm not too great at the Old English! I'm putting up the first two chapters as testers, if you like the idea/story and want me to continue, you will have to tell me that! If I get sufficient reviews, I'll continue, if not, I'll be pulling this story back!

SO, my dear Readers, please do let me know if you want this story or not...

If I do continue, the pairs will be Jon & Ginny, Robb & Hermione. Do let me know! Cheers!

 **Chapter 01:**

Kingsley sat at his large ornate desk that fit his station as the Minister of Magic perfectly. Nursing a glass of Ogden's finest, he leaned his hand on the desk and lightly rubbed his temples.

Things weren't going great for the new Minister. Not that he expected a joyride right after the bloodiest war in the history of wizarding Britain, but this.. this changed everything! It was not only a new game, but a minor change had also set about a catastrophe and if he did nothing now if he did not change the past, there would be no future left!

No Grindlewald, no Voldemort, no nothing. There wouldn't be any life left. The world would be – human-less. Only the undead walking its cold lands.

"Your appointments are here, Minister," his aids voice buzzed in his office.

 _Thank Merlin_ , he sighed. Pointing his wand at his throat, "Please send them in Glinda. And make sure we aren't disturbed, thank you."

"As you wish, Minister," the voice buzzed just as a light knock rapped his door.

With a swish of his wand he had the door opening itself and five of his most elite operatives walked in one behind the other.

He eyed them all categorically, motioning for them to sit. As usual, they all declined.

He never really called upon them without a solid reason and now when the entire world's existence hung in balance, he could only think of them. Aurors would do no good in the other world, he needed special operatives who could do and would do so much more.

He had hand-picked his Team of Ten right after the war. They all came from different walks of life but had one thing in common – they fought for the light, even if it was right at the final battle that they had changed their allegiance.

The one thing that set them apart from all the other ministry peacekeepers was that they weren't a peacekeeper of any sort on paper. They all had different jobs and lead their own lives. It was only when he was out of viable options or _really_ desperate, that he called on them.

They were the best.

And their other jobs kept them hidden in plain sight.

Simple.

He looked at the five again and smiled kindly.

Mione, or Hermione Granger, as she was known all over the wizarding world was obviously the first member of his Team. She was an integral part of the Care and Regulation of Magical Creatures, brilliant as always. She was his pride and joy, so he only ever sent her out when it was really important. In fact, in the past year after the war, he had only ever sent her out once, with his fourth operative, to track down three rogue Death Eaters who were from Voldemort's inner-most circle.

Neville, or Professor Longbottom as he was famously known as was the second one. He was well past his fumbling early years and was a brilliant strategist. He was the only member of the Team whose identity was shared with one other apart from Kingsley. Minerva would absolutely have had his head for his leaves from the school if she didn't know he was going out for the greater good, so Kingsley had relented and told Minerva about him. But just him though, no one else.

Ginny, or Centre Chaser of Holyhead Harpies – Ginerva Weasley was the third member. She was exceptional at most everything, following closely in Hermione's footsteps. Her uncanny ability to see past words, straight into one's mind, her cunning at knowing exactly what to get done and how were all things that only the last child of a big family could know. There was, after all, no teacher greater than life.

Drake, or Draco Malfoy otherwise, was surprisingly the fourth one. The heir to the Malfoy fortunes was the perfect blend of bad and old money. It helped him gain access anywhere and he could pull strings like no other. Kingsley was particularly happy with how he had teamed with Mione and between just the two, they had caught Antonin Dolohov, Rabastan Lestrange and Fenrir Greyback. The Aurors were flushed out in one wave, yet these two had managed the impossible just fine.

Blaise, or Zabini, the dark Italian stallion was brilliance personified when it came to extracting information. His intelligence never failed and he could dig up material on anyone! At times, his network even put Kingsley's to shame.

He hadn't bothered calling his other five operatives. There was no point he only wanted the best in on this case.

Though he had fleetingly considered pulling Harry and Ron out of their Auror roles for a bit, he dashed the idea just as immediately. There was a reason no Aurors or Unspeakables were made a part of his Team. And he wasn't about to change that now, at what was possibly the most important mission of not just his life, but of all of humanity as well.

Kingsley pulled in a long, loud breath and expelled it similarly, giving eye contact to every one of the five members assembled.

"We have a breach. A tiny change in the past has changed the course of history and if we do not rectify it, the world as we know shall cease to exist. There would be no humans, no humanity, no life."

Apart from a slight quirk of their brows, his operatives did not speak a word. _Good_ , he had trained them well. "It all begins a way down in history at a place called Westeros…"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 02:**

Hermione quickly penned her note for long leave of absence, possibly even a sabbatical she hinted, to her boss at the Care and Regulation of Magical Creatures and sighed. _So much for passing of those werewolf friendly laws next week!_ No worries though, her notes and research were solid and she knew her assistant, one Mr. Derek, was the best second to ensure it all went just as she had planned.

She tied the hastily written note to a postal owl's claw and let him fly.

She was in the ministry and so could have easily sent in a flier, but she thought that sending a request for a sabbatical was better done through post rather than an annoying little origami aeroplane!

After sorting it out, she apparated to her flat, packed her stuff and was back at the ministry, penning yet more notes for her two best friends to let them know that she was leaving for a long vacation with her best girl pal before they both had a burn out.

That was their cover. As far as their friends and family knew, they were touring the world. If anyone wondered about their sudden urge to up and leave, well, they weren't gonna be around for answering, were they?

She smirked as her accomplice stepped out of the fire grate.

"I'm glad we talked Kings into letting us take this one," Ginny rubbed her hands, her eyes shining with a wicked gleam that was most noticeably out of place on her innocent face. "I can't wait to acquaint myself with all those men with the old world charm and all."

"Gin, we've only got this opportunity because you convinced him that women won't be given a second thought in that society. So do remember that women back then weren't so forward. You try something too provocative and they'll label you something uncouth," Hermione smiled at her friend.

"Yeah, well, I've dated and broke up with Harry Potter. I'm pretty sure they don't have words bad enough to beat some of the press I received after that stint," Ginny shrugged casually in response.

Both girls stopped their teasing banter when they neared the Minister's offices. Pulling back the mask of professionalism on, they knocked on the secret door in their coded way and the door at once swung open in acceptance of their passcode.

"This is your medallion for travel. It will only work for one or both of you, no one else can activate it. Keep it safe, you'll need it for your return journey."

"These are your kits. Everything from the required potions to the appropriate winterwear is in it. Though I must say we have not much clue about the fashion from then so you girls will have to go there and transfigure your clothes accordingly."

"Meet the Lord Stark. Your pass phrase is 'We have come back in time to warn you of the approaching winter.' There is always a Stark at Winterfell and the members of the House of Stark are primed about our world at a very young age. The Head will see you immediately, brief him about your purpose and stay at Winterfell at all costs. You leave the North unprotected, the White Walkers will take over the world. Keep a Stark at Winterfell, under any circumstances. Starks have a pact with the Older White Walkers and till there is even one Stark left in Winterfell, the White Walkers will stay away."

"You're going to a time where witchcraft was a major taboo and its practitioners were burned at stake, so make sure to keep your special abilities hidden."

"Mix in the crowd. Mingle with them. Do not raise suspicions. Embed yourself in their society. We need to find what went wrong and to rectify the mistake or humanity will have no future whatsoever."

"You have your wand on your person?"

The two witches nodded.

"Do whatever it takes, but we need you to succeed."

They nodded again.

"Hold on tight to the medallion. It's ready to go in 5.. 4.. 3.. 2.. 1.."

 **Reminder: Hit REVIEW to keep the story going! Or not, either ways, do let me know!**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:** Hi my dear readers! I am glad I got a few reviews, thank you all for them! So, with only seven reviews I was really sitting on the fence about this story but my friend kind of kicked me where it hurts saying that I hadn't really specified a minimum number of reviews or even by when I should get them... and that the chapters are too short to really take a call...

Soooo... the sweet author that I am... (clears throat)... I am going to upload a few more chapters. Yay!

But, I'm making this a reviewer's voice story. You review, I further it! THAT is the deal! If I get 10 reviews, I continue, if not I pull it out.

So, please please please drop me a review for I would hate to withdraw any story mid-way, especially after I have people hooked to it. I know by experience how bad that feels...

Now, without further ado, let's join our two favorite witches as they fall out of the sky in Winterfell!

 **Chapter 03:**

Ginny landed on her ass with Hermione on top of her as they both fell off the sky onto the wet hearth.

"We need to tell the Unspeakables to remedy that next time we see one of them," Hermione groaned as she picked herself off Ginny and dusted her dark blue denim. She bent down to feel for her beaded bag in which she had stuffed her kit from Kingsley too and gave a small smile of ease when she felt it in her sock. Seriously, one of these days she really had to get around to empty the damn thing!

Ginny groaned as well, gingerly rubbing her pert little behind while shrugging the dust of her own black slacks.

"Who are you and what are you doing in Wolfswood?" came a firm voice from behind them, halting them in their attempts to clean themselves.

 _So much for mixing in_ , Ginny sighed looking at her and her friend's absolutely not-from-this-era screaming clothes and looked at the sound of the voice.

Her breath hitched in her throat at the sight of the young man. He was tall, muscular, though not too much, had hair curly enough to be Hermione's brother only they were raven coloured. His skin was like warm wax and his eyes a pool of molten chocolate in which she would have happily frowned had she not been on duty.

"I am Ginerva Weasley and this is my friend Hermione Granger. We've travelled long for a meeting with Lord Stark of Winterfell, could you please be kind enough to point us in the correct direction?"

"Unescorted?" the young man asked flustered.

"Excuse me?" Ginny looked at him funnily.

"Pardon me?" the man looked equally confused.

"I think we've reached a stalemate," Hermione finally spoke bemused. "We didn't catch your name, sir."

"That's because I didn't give any."

Ginny raised her brow, pinning the young by with a haughty look to match his own haughty tone.

"Alright," Hermione held on lightly on Ginny's shoulder. "Could you be kind enough to tell us where Winterfell is?"

"Why? What purpose does your visit serve?"

"I'm afraid it's classified. For Lord Stark's ears only. So, if you don't mind…" Ginny tapped her foot impatiently.

"Your language.. you aren't from around here, are you?"

"You need to ask? Are our dresses not enough of an answer?" Ginny frowned. _Was he slow or just dense?_

Hermione barely resisted her urge to smack Ginny up her head. "It's alright if you can't tell us where Winterfell is, we'll find it ourselves," Hermione offered the strange boy a small smile and lugged Ginny behind her.

"Wait. I can't, in all good conscience, let two women wander the woods by themselves. I'll escort you to the Winterfell Castle."

Hermione nodded her thanks and Ginny contained her scowl. They needed his help after all!

"Ladies.." the young man dipped his head to get them to follow him as he walked a few steps ahead of them, a little at the sides, too wary of them to turn his back completely, hand lurking around his sword that was tucked conveniently at his waist.

Instinctively Ginny reached for her hidden wand under her shirt sleeve and breathed more easily on feeling it tucked safely in easy grasp.

Hermione eyed the two and stopped a laugh from escaping her throat.

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Winterfell was majestically beautiful and Robb breathed in the fresh air.

He looked around his house, his people and felt the weight of his responsibilities on his shoulders like a physical burden. Soon enough he would be the one leading them, providing for them and protecting them.

And all of it with winter just around the corner.

Also, his nameday was fast approaching. Just last night his mother had spoken to him about choosing an appropriate bride for himself during his nameday celebrations, so that he could be married quickly after it. She wanted a hoard of grandchildren to play with soon, she had teased him, making him go red in the face.

Not that he hadn't done the deed ever, far from it actually, what with having Theon Greyjoy as a constant companion! The man was even thinking of taking Jon to one for his coming of age celebration! With Theon around, you just had to visit the whorehouses for he practically slept there most nights. Though Robb wasn't as bad as Theon, he did enjoy the company of women there and had accompanied his friend there a handful of times.

But all that would change soon.

He was asked to pick a bride and he was lost.

Only his father could and had helped him sort his thoughts out. He had pulled him aside a few noons back, and asked him to think of what it was that he wanted in his future bride. Once Robb knew that, his father had promised that finding a suitable match would not be so very difficult.

But what was it that a young man, the next in line as the Warden of the North, would want in his bride?

She had to be high standing and must come from an influential background, that was a given. But what next? What qualities was he supposed to look for? What flaws was he to stir clear off? No one offered him any advice on that.

"You'll know when it's right, son," his father had patted his back twice with a half-smile gracing his handsome face and walked out of their library, leaving him alone amidst all those lifeless books.

Robb sat back on a chair near the practice grounds, losing himself to his thoughts when he saw his half-brother Jon walk in through the gates followed by two very strangely dressed gangly boys with funnily tied hair.

He stood up immediately and walked up to Jon, intent on finding out more about the strangers. But just as he neared them, he realized his mistake. They weren't men but women, only dressed very differently in something that seemed like it would be more appropriate on men than them.

"I found them snooping around at Wolfswood, say they want to speak with Father."

"Snooping?" the lady with flaming red hair asked indignantly.

"Father?" asked the brown haired questioningly. "You're Lord Stark's son?"

Jon ignored them both. Robb shook his head at the antics of his brother and turned around to look at the two women.

"Aye, mi' lady. Lord Eddard Stark, the Lord of Winterfell, is our father. I am Robb, the eldest of the Stark children. And this," he pointed at his half-brother, "is Jon, my half-brother."

"And just who might these wonderful ladies be?" jumped in another young man, a dirty blond haired man with a crazy-eyed look.

The witches shivered with unease at the way he was eyeing them up. Noticing which, Robb and Jon both stopped to glare at the new entrant. "Leave Greyjoy. They are here for Father, nothing to do with you," Jon spoke through clenched teeth.

Theon looked at the two brothers and then at the two women they were trying to shield from him and smirked. He clapped Robb on his back, "Alright, I'll leave now. But you, Stark, come to the bar at sundown." He leered at the two women again, until Jon actually growled to make him go away.

"Sorry about that," Robb apologized immediately. "Theon Greyjoy thinks poorly."

"Theon Greyjoy doesn't think at all," Jon murmured under his breath as he shrugged and continued onwards towards the Great Hall where Lord Stark usually sat at that time of the day.

Ginny and Hermione shared a look full of revulsion for the man that had finally walked away. If only they could, they would have turned him into a cowering, blithering mess but alas, their magic was to be kept a secret from all but the Starks.

"If he ever does that to either of us ever again, I _will_ poke his eyes out," Ginny threatened, making Jon stop in his tracks to look at her. "What?" she barked at him.

"Nothing.. my lady," Jon chuckled, "You just reminded me of someone I know." Robb felt his own lips twitching at the mention of their youngest sister Arya.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 04:**

Ned Stark was a lot of things, but fool wasn't one of them.

One look at the two ladies Jon had brought in from Wolfswood, and he knew exactly who they were. Their foreign dressing was enough to ring all the warning bells in his mind.

He had never really believed the old tales that spun around his family, dismissing them as old wives gossips, but when he looked at the two sorceresses, (yes, he knew they were sorceresses!) he knew all those tales had been true. And the proof stood before him and his eldest two.

"Shut the door behind you, Robb. And then take a seat with Jon, there might be a long explanations soon and I'd rather just finish it in one go," he sighed tiredly and rubbed his forehead.

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It was going to be a long winter.

There was a great war brewing.

The White Walkers were coming back.

Starks had to put up a united, undefeatable front at the North.

They were all that stood between humanity and the undead.

And his personal favorites…

They were witches!

From the future!

Traveling back in time to help them fight!

 _To help them… to fight!_ He couldn't control the thoughts that were spinning in his head in a short circuit, every passing second recalling the meeting with his father. He would have found the absurdity of it all too much for his eyes to see and his ears to hear, but all he had witnessed was true and his father had called upon an important family meeting the next day at breakfast.

He was caught between shock and some place unbelievable.

 _But they yielded magic! How can I not be in shock?!_

There was a soft knock on the door that he heard only because of the silence of the night. Robb moved out of his bed and pulled on his dressing robe over the breeches that he had worn to the bed earlier and walked to the door, throwing it open.

Just beyond the door, stood his half-brother Jon, looking as ashen as he felt.

"Couldn't sleep?" Robb raised his eyebrow. Jon shook his head. "Me neither. Come on in, then."

Stepping in, Jon shut the door behind him and began, "They know sorcery. What if they turn against us? We'd have no way of saving our family, our home."

Jon's straight cutting to the heart of the matter was a point that always endeared him to Robb, but now was not the time to smile about it. So Robb said instead, "We'll have to keep a close eye on them at all times. We need to know they can be trusted before we let our guard down around them."

"Father seems to trust them, though."

"I saw, it even felt as if he knew of them."

Jon hummed. "Do you think they are those from the stories we heard from him when we were young? About men and women with wands that came to aid our ancestors during the last war against the White Walkers.."

"It's quite likely, I agree. May be that is how father knew about them too. What we dismissed as night-time stories, he may have known of the truth behind them; something he definitely did not tell us."

"So, what now? How should we proceed?"

"I am sure Father wouldn't be telling any of the younger ones about their true reasons for being at Winterfell so that only leaves Mother. He may very well have told her already. And if I know Mother at all, she must be brimming with hearty mistrust if nothing else, about father's new wards."

Jon agreed with that. Hell, he had been around for one and seven namedays and yet Lady Stark treated him with nothing short of annoyance and disgust, so he was pretty sure the new guests were going to be treated similarly, if not worse. For that reason alone, though, he felt an affinity with them that he didn't want to think much about.

Just like him, they would stay at the castle and enjoy all its luxuries and yet have no one to call family.

Well, none apart from each other.

He envied them that.

Disgusted with himself for his thoughts, he shook his head hard and turned to look at Robb. "So, you didn't go to see Greyjoy I see," he teased his brother.

Robb scowled at Jon and punched his stomach for good measure. "Go back to sleep, the morrow will be here soon enough."

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The breakfast in the morning was as noisy as the ones back at the Burrow and both the witches smiled at the familiarity of the event. Lord Stark was discussing his day with his two elder sons while Lady Stark was urging her youngest, Rickon, a boy of just six, to eat _at least something_ , from where she sat across the table. The two young Stark girls sat beside each other, eating their food quietly and yet from the thinly-veiled curiosity shining in one's eyes and mirth in the other's it was clear to anyone who cared to watch that the sisters were as different as night and day. The second last son looked to be the quietest, but one look in his mischievous eyes and the bubble would burst with a resounding pop!

As they looked at the Stark family, they were being evaluated by them as well. Lady Stark looked at them with unconcealed mistrust, Lord Stark with curiosity and intrigue and the two older half-brothers kept shuttling between enigmatic and wary. Looking around, they realized none of the other family members were told about their _truth_ since the younger kids were only looking at them with undistinguished curiosity, not awe or even fear.

Which was fine with them, trusting a bunch of kids with information about their magic was not particularly high on their agenda either.

"What are you two smiling about?" Bran, the boy of ten, asked.

"Brandon! That's no way to speak to guests," his mother immediately admonished his childish curiosity.

"No, that's all right, we don't mind," Hermione smiled at the young boy.

"We were just thinking how similar to our own home this all is," Ginny gestured around the table to make her point.

"Do you have many siblings too, then?" Lord Stark asked, curious to find out as much about his new wards as he could.

"Not me, I am an only child, but she does, she is the youngest of seven and the only girl in her family, too," Hermione smiled back at the head of the house.

"You have six elder brothers then?" Sansa, the beautiful brunette, sitting beside her mother asked.

Ginny's eyes immediately clouded over. "No, just five now. I lost one of my brothers in a fight almost a year back now."

"Oh, I apologize, I didn't know," Sansa looked at her breakfast plate in shame.

"It's alright. We're healing. It's difficult, but we're getting there," she offered the young girl a small smile.

"Are any of them married yet?" Lady Stark asked.

"Yes, one. My eldest brother," Ginny smiled fondly, thinking of Bill.

"And how old are you girls?" she queried again.

"I'm seventeen and she's eighteen," Ginny replied again, then at the blank looks around the table, "one and seven and one and eight?" she asked sounding unsure.

"Oh, my Gods! And you aren't married yet?" Sansa asked, eyes wide.

"Not everyone's sole ambition in life is to get married and produce sons," Arya gave her elder sister a disgusted look, much to the amusement of the two new joiners. Then Arya turned to look at them, "So, you weren't forced by your parents into a marital allegiance despite your age?" she asked as softly as she could, knowing her mother had her ears out on every word whispered around the table, but she looked occupied with her father at the moment and Arya knew Robb and Jon wouldn't out her.

"No," Hermione shook her head. "My parents are very big on academics.. reading, knowledge and such, so I haven't been pressurized into anything yet, though my mother does push a prospect my way every now and again."

"As for me, let's just say my mother's at her wit's end and has signed me off as a lost cause," Ginny smirked and winked at the young girl, earning a happy squeak in return.

"How did you do that? Will you share some pointers with me?" Arya asked, almost jumping in excitement.

"Arya!" Jon warned, trying hard to control his chortle.

"Any time you ask," Ginny promised her despite the warning she heard in her half-brother's voice.

"How do you intend to occupy your time while you're here, Lady Hermione, Lady Ginerva?" Sansa asked again.

Both the witches looked at each other and then back at her. "I'd like to read about.. well, everything that's available," Hermione gaze passed unsurely at the Lord, hoping against hope he'd allow her access to his private library. It was a new era, after all, she wanted to learn all she could about it since it looked like they had quite some time in hand now; while Ginny snorted loud enough for all to hear.

"What do you all do to kill time around here?" Ginny asked instead, itching to learn something new.

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The joke was on her, Ginny realized about an hour later when she saw herself sat with blubbering young _maidens_ , sewing! With a needle and all the other muggle paraphernalia no less! She was aghast, to say the least.

"This is what we have wands for!" she grumbled under her breath so only Hermione could hear her.

"Well, it was you who wanted to learn something new.." Hermione bit back her smile.

"Why do you even know this stuff?" Ginny asked looking at Hermione's perfect small stitches that she was shaping into the very complex Gryffindor logo and then at her own piece of embroidery, that was to be a garden gnome, as a joke, not because that was the easiest thing she could think of sewing by hand, _honestly what did everyone think of her, really_ , but was an utter humiliation instead!

From the corner of her eyes she saw Arya make a dash for the side doors and on a whim Ginny decided to follow her, knowing in her gut that there was more fun anywhere else but where she was currently sat.

Decision made, Ginny stood up and looked at their teacher. "Could you please excuse me, I need to use the washroom?" On the blank stare she received, she tried again, "Restroom? Loo? Toilet? Oh for Merlin's sake! I need to pee!" she held up her little finger at the teacher and bolted out the room without her reply, making Hermione chuckle silently.

But fifteen minutes later, when Ginny had still not come back, Hermione grew worried. She showed her finished work to the teacher and asked for a respite, intent on finding her mischievous companion before she landed them both in trouble.

She didn't have to look for long. Following the sounds of loud giggles, she found both the girls that were missing from the sewing class, standing by the edge of what looked like a practice arena for learning ways of combat.

"I like this one," Ginny pointed at Arya, the minute Hermione stepped in beside them. "She absolutely handed her brother's behind to him on a platter." Then turning at Arya approvingly, "Don't take crap from anyone, ever, got that girl, it's time to show everyone what we're made of," she smiled encouragingly at a very beaming Arya.

"So, what forms of combat do you know?" Arya asked interestedly.

"Uhm.." Ginny faltered.

"Like I do archery. Jon is supposed to teach me sword fighting but he hasn't gotten around to it yet."

"Well, our combats are more hand on hand," Ginny tried, restraining a chuckle about her description of wands.

"Oh, is that why you wear men's clothing?"

"Yeah.. I guess.. It's rather comfortable, actually, but Mione insists that we need to start dressing like you girls from tomorrow. Lord Stark will be sending us a few dresses this evening, so I guess my pant days will be behind me for a bit from now on."

"Oh!" Arya tried to keep up. "But you must learn some form of weapon combat. Every girl must be able to protect herself should the need arise, or so Jon always says."

"That's actually quite correct," Hermione nodded in agreement.

"Say, can you teach us?" Ginny asked Arya. "I saw you hit the mark from at least twenty feet away. Do you think you can teach us to shoot an arrow like that?"

"Me?" Arya asked, feeling something very close to pride unfurling inside her.

While Hermione quirked a brow at Ginny. "We are asked to keep away from magic by both Kingsley and Lord Stark, we need to know the muggle combats from this era," she explained under her breath.

Grimacingly, Hermione yielded. While she did agree that learning new martial arts was always a good idea, she didn't see much sense in learning from an eleven-year-old girl. _Well, I did a lot of things beyond my age when I was as young, maybe she can too.._ she reasoned and agreed to yet another half-baked Weasley plan. She seemed to be doing a lot of that lately, she reflected.

"Yes! Yes, I will. I mean.. I'll be honored, my ladies," Arya replied importantly, bowing at her waist.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 05:**

 _Oh the doom!_ Jon and Robb thought at the same time in their minds when they saw the newly formed trio once again practicing archery in the low lights of late evening. It had been happening for a couple of days now.

The three ladies would smuggle out of the homestead right after dinner and practice archery. Well, the sort of archery you learned from a novice who was shorter and younger than them no less, that is. Their stance was terrible and the way they held their borrowed bows was bound to give them muscle ache every night. And their arrows always missed the target!

How did Jon and Robb know that? Because they saw them have a go at it right since the day they started it. Despite the long hours of practice, there wasn't any improvement and seeing their teacher, Jon was sure there wasn't going to be any either. Even from a distance Jon could see all of their mistakes in one passing look.

Don't get him wrong, he was proud of Arya as a student, but she was just that.. a student, yet to master the intricacies of weaponry herself. Why they had asked her instead of the many battle wrought soldiers at Winterfell, he'd never be able to guess.

Finally, Jon sighed, unable to watch the spectacle anymore. "I have to help them, or Gods help me, I'll be prying my own eyes out if I have to see them have another go at it the way they are."

Walking away from Robb, he moved towards the trio and cleared his throat to make his presence known.

"Finally decided to grace us with your presence, did you? Tired of playing the peeping Tom?" Ginny smirked at him and lifted her bow.

Jon would've commented at that, but Ginny brought her bow up and took aim at the target making him wince instead. "Don't do it that way. All you're learning are new ways of making your muscles sore. Let me help you with it, if you have to have a go at it, do it the right way, at the very least."

As if seeking permission from her one true master, Ginny's eyes landed on Arya. Feeling very important, Arya sagely nodded, "Well, he taught me too, and he has a lot of practice, so he is much better at it than me."

"Why, thank you, Arya," a small smile lifted Jon's lips as he saw the exchange between the two. "Now, off to bed you go. I'll take it up from here," he lightly pushed Arya towards the castle.

"Oh, alright," Arya grumbled but let out a yawn, relenting and making her way back to the castle.

"Whosoever told you to come for target practice in the dark?" Jon turned towards the two witches. "Come down before the first light and we'll start then."

With those crisp instructions, he was gone.

"What the fuck is wrong with him?" Ginny glared holes at his back.

"Leave it be Gin, no use in working yourself up," Hermione wisely offered her a comforting pat and they both put away their bows and arrows and found their way to their room for the night.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

"What took you two so long? I've been waiting here for long enough!" Jon growled his early morning greeting at the two witches when they met at the practice arena.

"I am sorry but 'before the first light' is not really a time and we couldn't set our wands for the proper hour to wake up in time," Hermione apologized immediately.

"And you just had to start wearing these gowns from today, didn't you? The whole time you two have been around, you've sported men's wear and now when you need to wear that for combat you turn up in dresses?"

"If you aren't serious about this, I'd rather not be wasting my time with you ladies. Unlike you, I happen to have many more important tasks to do," Jon bit back scathingly. He had left his warm furs for teaching them and they had had the audacity to keep him waiting for the good part of an hour. He was furious!

"What the fuck is wrong with you? She apologized, didn't she? And these stupid gowns were sent by your father, to not make us stand out like sore thumbs to prying eyes! We could hardly refuse, now could we?"

"Ginny.." Hermione held on her friend's shoulder but she just sidestepped her and continued on.

"You've been treating us such from the moment we met, even before we opened our mouth in greeting. Look, mister, I don't know what your problem is, honestly if it was just nerves about our magic I would have understood but you've been going at us since before you knew that! And truth be told, I've had enough! You either clean up your brooding act or I'll clean it up for you," Ginny warned Jon angrily, taking a step towards him.

"Are you challenging me?"

"Need me to spell it out for you?"

Jon looked at the redheaded witch glaring angrily at him, his eyes flashing his own annoyance at her. "Fortunately for you, I don't fight girls."

Ginny smirked wickedly. "Unfortunately for you, I have no such qualms."

Just when Hermione saw Ginny reaching her wand, she decided to intervene. "Alright, I think that's enough for one morning. Gin, don't kill the clueless sap."

"Pardon me, Lady Hermione, but did you just imply that between the two of us, _she_ has the upper hand."

"Was it too subtle for you?" Ginny asked him, looking up mock innocently.

Jon's hand tightened around his sword head. Hermione saw his action and heaved an exasperated sigh. There was no stopping it now, they both needed to get their anger out or they would drive _her_ insane!

"Yes, kind sir, I did. Not only can she kick your ass just fine, but she can also do it with much fewer rounds too," Hermione shrugged her shoulders.

Jon narrowed his gaze on the two. "You really think that highly of your witchcraft? Let me warn you then, that there's a reason burning your kind at the stake comes easily enough for men like me."

"You just dug your own grave, Stark," Ginny growled at Jon.

"Snow," he curtly corrected.

"What?" Ginny tilted her head in confusion.

"It's Snow, Jon Snow. I am a bastard not a Stark."

Hermione furrowed her brows, _was that the reason he was always so touchy?_ Ginny continued to look on in confusion at him. "What's that got to do with anything? You want to fight me or not?"

Jon blinked at Ginny's casual dismissal of his last name and blood status, then shook himself out of his reverie. "Give me your best shot."

Ginny chuckled menacingly and Hermione sharply turned her way, warning shining clearly in her eyes and voice. "Don't you dare Gin. He is just a muggle, you better hold back."

Jon furrowed his brows at Hermione's words but stayed quiet when she started speaking again. "Jon, you get ten blows to injure Ginny, Gin, you get three spells to keep yourself safe and return the attack."

"That's not really fair, is it?" Robb asked, finally stepping out of the sides and contributing his penny to their debacle.

Hermione jumped at his voice. They had seen him with Jon when they had entered the arena of course, but he'd simply stood back and let his half-brother talk, only watching quietly from the side, so she'd forgotten all about him. _Rookie mistake!_ Mad-eye would've had her hide had he been around, she grimaced.

"Trust me, Lord Stark, she won't even need those many," Hermione smirked, completely confident in Ginny's abilities. They had fought a war against a dark tyrant, after all.

Turning around to face the two opponents, Hermione spoke again, "Before we start, remember that just because I'm allowing it this once, it does not mean you can make it a habit. I will not tolerate such behavior from either of you henceforth, are we clear about that?"

"Fine, _mom_ ," Ginny answered with an eye roll.

Jon looked at the brunette and sighed, nodding in acquiescence as well.

"Jon, leave your sword and use the practice one," Robb instructed and Jon nodded. He only wanted to teach the witch a lesson, not kill her!

Hermione stood back, a little away from Robb and watched as her friend ground out Jon Snow's ego into ashes. When he came running at her, she simply flicked her wand and whispered, "Protego." He lost seven blows trying to get through to her but couldn't. She then willing brought her shield down and sent a quick rectumsempra his way. He fell to the floor laughing uncontrollably, rolling over the soft, cold mud. Then while he was trying in vain to stand up and control his laughing fit, she smiled at him cheekily and stupefied him. He fell back to the floor with a thump.

Robb's mouth flew open as Ginny walked up to the frozen body of Jon and looked down at him. "Take that tone with me again and I will Bat Boogie you next time." She threw her plait out of her face and walked back beside Hermione.

Robb somehow managed to find his tongue and turned to the witches. "You haven't killed him, have you?"

"No, just stupefied. But I hope that's enough for him to learn his lesson."

"Can you do all of that, too?" Robb asked Hermione and Ginny cackled.

"Oh, she can do so much more, she's not termed the brightest witch of the age for no reason," Ginny shrugged taking the wind out of Robb's sails. He was eyeing Hermione peculiarly when Ginny added, " _That_ was nothing, it was just a game. We are lethal on the battlefield."

"You've been on battles?" Robb asked, mouth hanging open in so many minutes again.

"We've been at the centrefold of a war," Ginny replied, both witches avoiding his eyes, letting him know without words that they didn't want to speak any more about it.

"Shall we begin your archery training then?" Robb asked instead, looking doubtfully at Jon who still lay slumped on the floor but was twitching slightly.

"He'll be around in a minute," Hermione answered Robb's unasked question and picked up a bow and a quiver of arrows, walking a few paces towards her target. Ginny followed behind her doing the same.

Robb came up behind them, standing in between with his own bow and arrow quiver, demonstrating the stance that best suited their stature for taking a target. Then he walked over to Hermione, angling her arms and hands just right as she held her pose, while Jon's hex finally wore off and he joined the three, moving in behind Ginny, gingerly helping her do the same.

"On my word," Robb said softly, "Shoot!"

With a twingging sound, the arrows flew from their bows. They didn't quite meet the center mark but did land on the outer circles of the target. Robb offered them a small smile. "That's good for first timers, we'll get to the center soon enough."

The witches plucked another arrow off their quiver and took aim again, again both the young men stepped in beside them to help out.

"What's Bat Boogie hex?" Jon asked Ginny softly from behind, holding her hands at the correct angle for taking the shot once more.

"Annoy me again, and I'll show you," she whispered back and let the arrow fly.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 06:

After the morning's practice, the witches made their way towards the Dining Hall for breaking their fast, followed closely by the brothers who had waited back to set everything up for their practice later before joining their family for breakfast.

They sat around the table and again Rickon was giving his mother trouble with his eating habits. Hermione looked around carefully to make sure Lady Stark did not hear her when she spoke to Rickon.

"If you eat today's breakfast without fuss, I'll cook you eggs in a very special way for tomorrow," she offered him quietly, making her deal with him sound like a secret pact just between the two of them.

Brandon, though, who was sitting next to Rickon exclaimed loudly, "What about me then, Lady Hermymi?"

Hermione hid her smile at his use of her name and gave him mock glare when his mother looked their way, and only when she looked away, Hermione continued, "I'll make you a deal, too. Don't go climbing on those high walls today and you'll get something special tomorrow too."

Ginny giggled when she saw Arya slyly looking at Hermione, waiting to hear what her deal would be. "You don't skip your sewing class today and you get yours." Arya made faces at her deal, but Robb, Jon and Sansa who were sitting close enough to them heard it all and smiles ghosted over their lips.

"I've received a few ravens today, so I will be in the library should anyone need me in the morn," Lord Stark announced as he stood up to leave.

Hermione's head swirled in his direction at the mention of the L word and a longing entered her eyes, one that she wasn't able to hide quick enough.

"Is there anything you need, Lady Hermione?" Eddard asked of his guest.

Hermione bit her lip, wondering if she should ask him about using his library again. Deciding to go for it, she spoke up. "May I please read a few books from your library, Lord Stark?"

"Should you so wish, you are more than welcome to borrow any book you wish. I only ask that you take just one book out of the library and return it to its shelf before borrowing the next one."

Hermione's smile could've lit up a darkened room, her joy at being able to read again was that great. All the Starks around gasped at her sheer bliss, one more astounded than the rest at the complete transformation of her features, turning her more beautiful than any maiden he had ever seen.

"Have someone escort you to library after you're done here," Eddard Stark nodded at the table at large and left for the said room.

Lady Stark too went back to her chambers not much after him.

Hermione did not bother hiding her happiness. "Say, you really love to read, don't you?" Sansa smiled at her.

Ginny snorted, "That's the biggest understatement I've ever heard."

"Bookworm," Arya coughed, catching Hermione's eye. Since she'd spent sometime with the two guests, she knew how they pulled each other's leg, and never one to pass out a good joke, Arya had

formed a team with them, siding with Ginny when she teased Hermione and with Hermione when she teased Ginny.

"Oh, good one," Ginny beamed at Arya and they clapped their hands together from across the table, much to everyone's amusement.

"You know, I'm so happy, I am not even going to get you back for that one," Hermione said to Arya.

"But you know what this means?" Ginny asked around the table seriously, joviality during meals coming naturally to her, reminiscing of her days back home. "Get a good look at her right now, we won't be seeing her anytime soon again."

"Ha, ha, Gin, ha, ha," Hermione kicked Ginny under the table.

Not one to take it lying down, Ginny kicked her shin right back. "Payback, Mione," she grinned.

Just as Hermione turned to glare at Ginny, Sansa sighed, "You two are as bad as sisters."

"We are sisters," Ginny spoke proudly, "In everything but blood. She might be my brother's best friend, but..."

Sansa cut her off, looking at Hermione with eyes that were almost ready to pop out of her skull. "Your best friend is a boy?"

"Both my best friends are boys," Hermione smiled at the girl, knowing what was coming next from her, but Ginny beat Sansa to it.

"Hey! What about me, then?" Ginny pouted. "What about you?" Hermione quirked her brow. "I am a girl. Am I not your best friend?"

"The statement stands for itself." That got her another swift kick under the table. "Ginerva Molly Weasley," Hermione's tone quickly changed to no nonsense, "behave yourself. There are impressionable kids around."

"You mean the same ones who were sat right here when you were kicking me?" Ginny raised her brow.

"Gin.." "Mione.."

Their warning tones set Robb on edge after the morning's debacle and he quickly intervened. "Ladies... You have company."

They both blushed in embarrassment and looked down at their plates mumbling apologises. Robb smirked, they looked fetching when they were flustered.

After a few bites in silence, Sansa asked, "So, I've seen you two call each other by shortened versions of your names. Is that a common practice from where you come from?" Her father hadn't been very forthcoming about the whereabouts of his new wards when he had introduced them to his family, so she was quite curious about the duo. Especially because Lady Hermione could sew better than her! No one in Winterfell had ever managed that feat! She had been the best before Lady Hermione had come along, and she knew it for her dresses at all the balls had always been the talk of the town.

"Yes," the two witches nodded in unison. "Our close friends and family usually use nicknames, that's what the shortened versions are called, to call us. Especially when speaking to people like us, because our names are long enough to take half a day to pronounce just right."

The girls giggled and everyone continued with their breakfast.

Soon done, Hermione got up from her place, almost skipping with her joy of seeing the library and books and Ginny whined. "Mione, what am I to do all day without you?"

A slight guilt entered Hermione's shining eyes and she bit her lip. "Come along then?"

Ginny froze. "Absolutely not! You go, I'll find ways to keep myself entertained, thanks much," she bid her friend and got up to leave.

"May I come with you?" Arya asked, standing up too.

"Sure," Ginny smiled. "Two's better than one anyway."

"I'll better see you in sewing class," Sansa called behind her younger sister. "Especially if you want the surprise tomorrow," Hermione called after them. "Damn..." they heard the replied groan.

"Now, you have been good Rickon, so be ready to be amazed tomorrow, okay? You like eggs, right?" she asked the young boys cheekily, knowing they all ate just those every single day cooked in the exact same way! Three minute par boiled, lightly salted. Honestly, how were they even expected to stomach the same food everyday was beyond Hermione, but she planned on remedying that soon.

The boys groaned in unison but Hermione promised them that they'd love what she'd make for them.

"May I escort you, Lady Hermione?" Robb asked standing up and dusting off the dry bread crumbs off his tunic and breeches. "I am on my way to see Father, anyway," he shrugged. Truth be told, he only wanted to spend the few extra minutes, alone for a change, with her and see if her face would light up at the sight of all those old tomes again, the way it had at the dining table when his father had permitted her the use of his library.

"Thank you, Lord Stark," Hermione beamed at Robb and they left the room together.

Sansa narrowed her eyes at her brother's uncharacteristic behaviour towards the pretty brunette, deciding to watch out for the two before turning to look at her half-brother who was watching the way their other guest had left from along with Arya. Something was definitely not quite right and she loathed not knowing anything about it all.

Grinning to herself at her new agenda, she left, not bothering with the niceties of excusing herself or asking for her bastard brother's leave. Swapping her hair behind her back, she too left the hall.

Jon shooed Rickon and Bran off before vacating the hall himself, going in search of the two menaces that were sure to wreak havoc on all of Winterfell if left to their own devices for too long.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 07:**

Hermione's eyes lit up the second she laid them on the numerous books lining the tall shelves, "Thank you," she whispered distractedly at Robb and made a beeline for the shelves.

She ghosted her fingers lightly over the spines of the thick, old tomes and felt a new life entering her. She pulled in a deep breath, inhaling the sweet aroma of rusted over paper and scanned the names of all the books, her dancing eyes shining with her excitement and hair framing her face.

She bit her lip when she came across any book she thought she should pick, then shook her head and moved on, intent on seeing as many books as she could before she made her choice.

And her innocent joy at being reunited with her first love – books, was playing havoc with Robb's peace of mind.

His heart skipped a beat when the excitement entered her eyes, her whole face melting into soft, lovely lines as she smiled a beatific smile and glided towards the shelves.

He prayed to the old Gods, to let him feel those fleeting touches she was awarding the books with, on his own naked skin as they snuggled on his warm bed between the furs.

His gut clenched when that particular image entered his mind and he felt her lip biting's effect in the one part of his anatomy that made even walking difficult. Lords have mercy, thank them for his tight breeches or he would have embarrassed himself mightily while looking at his father's ward.

Lord Eddard Stark looked up from his letters when he heard the door to the library opening and saw Lady Hermione fly towards the book shelves with his eldest son standing rooted to the spot, unable to tear his gaze away from her.

Ned cleared his throat loudly when his son refused to turn his way despite being summoned twice. "Robb, to what do I owe you the pleasure of your visit?"

"Nothing," Robb shook his head and cleared his throat when he realized his voice wasn't coming out right. "I just came to show Lady Hermione the library, I'll be on my way now. Have.. uh.. yes.. have to go for.. now.." he spoke distractedly, eyes still turning involuntarily towards the witch who was so engrossed in the books that she did not even notice any of untoward behaviour.

"Alright then," Eddard Stark nodded, giving his son his leave and yet it took Robb a few more minutes to get his act together and make his feet obey his father's command to leave instead of following his heart's desire to move close behind her.

The next morning, Ginny and Hermione did not go down for archery practice, instead they slept for an hour longer and then stealthily moved to the kitchen, preparing the promised delicacies for the Stark kids.

"What would you like to make?" Ginny asked, eyeing the vegetables, fruits, species and condiments around the kitchen.

"I was thinking of omelettes, you know, something simple yet delicious."

"Hmm.. want to add some veggies in it? Make it wee bit more healthy for the little boy? I remember mum doing that with us," Ginny smiled in fond nostalgia.

"Sounds promising," Hermione smiled and then grimaced. "Shall we bake some bread too? I'm kind of fed up of the stale, hard thing they dish out."

"Oh, yes please," Ginny exuberantly nodded. "And since it's still dark out can we please use," she waved her hand as if holding a wand, "all of its build-up inside me is making me crazy. I feel like I am on the precipice of something dark and annoying if I don't use some of it now."

Hermione nodded. "I so get you. I've become so jumpy and angsty these days. The fact that my date's round the corner is probably not helping either."

Ginny nodded in understanding.

Making small talk, they prepared the breakfast omelettes for Rickon, Bran, Arya and even Sansa, all of whom had behaved quite well the previous day. And of course of themselves too.

"Think we can juice out a pumpkin?" Ginny whispered in Hermione's ear as all the kitchen staff was now surrounding them.

Hermione giggled, shaking her head and balanced three plates in her hands, walking towards the dining hall, Ginny following behind her doing the same.

Hermione set the plates down in front of Rickon, Bran and Arya while Ginny did the same for Sansa, Hermione and herself.

"And what is that, may I ask?" Lady Stark looked at the served plates with disdain.

"Omelettes. They are made of eggs and are quite famous from where we come from," Hermione replied automatically.

"And we baked some bread for everyone. It's soft and warm, exactly how bread should be," Ginny added.

"I can't let my children have any of it," Lady Stark glared at the two witches.

"If you're worried about us having poisoned the food, I'll taste it in front of you," Hermione offered.

Lady Stark's glare did not waver but she motioned for Hermione to do just that. Biting back her angry retort, Hermione cut a piece of every omelette served, chewed it and then swallowed. For the benefit of the children though, she smacked her lips with her tongue, faked a smile and moaned, "Hmm.. Delicious."

"How do I know you haven't ingested an anti-venom already?"

Robb saw Hermione's normally warm brown eyes turn into chips of ice, her hair actually sparked, letting loose a few stray flickers of fire, though she ran her hand through her messy mane in an attempt to stop it.

Hermione lost her lid at Lady Stark's question and wandless and wordless, she froze the younger four Stark kids to keep them out of what was to ensue.

"Because trust me when I say this, Lady Catelyn, if I wanted to harm you or yours, there's nothing you can do to stop me. We are here for your protection and by extension the protection of the realm. Whether you like it or not, we will stay and do our duty; but that does, in no way mean, that I will take all the rubbish you throw my way."

"I am not only a witch but a very powerful and knowledgeable one at that, I am known as the brightest one of the age for a reason and believe you me, I am not one to be trifled with."

"You have trouble keeping your youngest fed so I thought I'd help, but I promise to not interfere in your family affairs henceforth. I thought of them as my own brothers and sisters so I intervened, I will not do it again unless specifically requested by you." With a flick of her wrist all their morning's hard labour disappeared to be replaced by the daily menu of dry bread and three minute boiled eggs. "Since you made me break a promise, you will explain the reason behind it to your kids."

Hermione lifted the spell on the four children and stormed out of the hall, hair still sparking behind her.

Ginny pinned Lady Stark with a withering glare before following her friend out.

"Where's my omnet?" Rickon cried, Bran and Arya looking around the table in confusion.

"That might have been a tad uncalled for," Ned spoke softly enough for only his wife to hear, "Not that I'm justifying her behaviour," he hastily added.

Hermione was mad! Raving angry! And much to her chagrin, Theon decided to waylay her just then.

"Lady Her..." he started.

"Move," she ordered and was gone from front of him in a flash.

Theon stood rooted to the spot in shock till he saw red hair whipping behind the same path that Hermione had taken not seconds back.

Without a second's thought, he followed the two and found them sitting by a clearing close to the woods. Lady Ginerva was setting food on what looked like a carpet of sorts and Lady Hermione looked mad enough to murder someone. Wondering what had happened so early in the morn for this, he moved towards them and cleared his throat.

"What are two lovely ladies like yourselves doing in the woods all by themselves?" "Breaking fast," Ginny offered without bothering to look up.

"May I join you?" Theon asked, thanking his luck for running into them. Now, not only did he get food but also the company of two of the ladies that were raising quite a few eyebrows in and around Winterfell.

Ginny caught Hermione's gaze questioningly, who gave an imperceptible nod in reply, so Ginny shrugged and made space for Theon to join them on the carpet she had hastily transfigured from some freshly plucked grass.

"What is it that we're eating?" Theon asked, eyeing the circular yellow things with curiosity.

"Something called omelettes and freshly baked bread," came a voice from behind them and Ginny turned to look at Robb who was walking along with Jon towards them.

Hermione stiffened at his voice but didn't turn around.

"May we join you, Lady Ginerva, Lady Hermione?" Robb asked eyes flicking between Ginny's face and Hermione's back. At least her hair wasn't crackling anymore! That was good right?

"Why are you two here?" Ginny asked instead. "For breaking fast," Robb shrugged.

"And to ask why you kept us both waiting in the dark. If you didn't plan to come for archery, you could've told us the same, we would've slept for a bit too," Jon spoke from beside Robb.

Ginny raised her brow. "We never spoke about meeting today, how were we to know you two would be waiting?"

"I thought it was a given, seeing as yesterday was the first day you actually managed to string an arrow correctly."

Ginny opened her mouth to reply, but Hermione placed her own hand on hers. "We're sorry Jon, we'll be there tomorrow onwards."

"Just give us a proper time if you don't want to wait for us too long," Ginny warned.

"Yes, my lady," Jon bowed a little at his hips.

"So, you didn't answer my question, Lady Ginerva, Lady Hermione, may we join you?"

"No," both the women vehemently replied together. Theon's eyebrows lost themselves in his hair. Instead of being insulted though, the brothers felt their lips twitching. "And why is that?"

"There's not enough food," Ginny grumbled.

"I seem to recall six plates full," Robb replied.

"Your mother will be displeased," Hermione looked the two men in the eyes and replied. "She's always cross with me," Jon shrugged and sat himself down.

Hermione furrowed her brows at Jon's careless comment realising just how deep his wound must be and then turned to Ginny who nodded and served the breakfast to the two young men who were sat on the carpet.

Robb walked around the carpet to face Hermione and knelt in front of her. "What about me Lady Hermione, am I allowed to join your party and break my fast?"

"It's your house and your food, Stark, knock yourself out," Hermione replied and stood up, walking past the gathered group deeper into the forest.

Robb stood up with her, his eyes following her into the woods. "The woods aren't particularly safe for a lone woman," Theon interjected, watching Hermione as she disappeared into the woods.

Ginny smirked. "Of course, they aren't. Mione's throwing a hissy fit in there, Merlin save the poor things that come her way." When she saw Robb following Hermione though, she shouted her warning at him. "Robb! Let her be, you're chivalry will get you maimed or killed otherwise."

Robb faltered in his steps but continued onwards, calling back without really turning, "I can't let a woman go alone into the woods knowing of the dangers that lurk in there. I'll get her out in a few moments."

"What an idiot," Ginny muttered under her breath and sat to eat with the two men keeping her company.

"You know Lady Ginerva, sitting with two unwed men so close to your own age, without a chaperon is not very wise of you," Theon started and Ginny sighed. She was surrounded by the idiotic lot this morning!

Meanwhile, in the woods, Robb found Hermione pacing between two tall willowy trees, the skirt of her dress fluttering with her swift steps, her hair sparking again in her anger while she kept saying unholy things under her breath.

"What are you doing here?" Hermione stopped her rant the second she realised she had company. She had lived with the Weasleys after all, her vocabulary could put most from her current era to shame.

"I came to escort you back, my lady. Staying for too long in these woods, especially by yourself is not a good idea."

"Were you not there when I put your mother to rights this morning? Or do you need a demonstration again?"

Robb winced. Yeah, his mother was going to take a long while to settle down after the morn's episode, and with the week they had ahead, he just knew it was going to go from bad to worse.

"How about I make it up to you? I'll teach you dagger play along with archery, does that absolve me from my mother's sins?" he asked hopefully, his warm blue eyes shining with mirth and remorse all at the same time.

Hermione's hand flew to caress her forearm at the mention of a dagger and she groaned internally. Perfect! With an amazing cue like that she was bound to have nightmares that night. Bloody brilliant!

Robb saw Hermione's pinched expression and then his gaze narrowed at the way she was rubbing her forearm tenderly. He stepped closer and pulled her arm towards him, pushing its sleeve away. MUDBLOOD it read in a very scratchy script.

"Who branded you? What does this word mean?" he asked, his eyes unmoving from the scarred flesh, his hackles raised at the prospect of someone coming close enough to his lady to brand her!

"It's not your concern, now, is it?" her eyes flashed angrily as she pulled her arm away from his tender, careful hands and pulled the sleeve of her dress back on.

Robb forgot his usual calm and his mirth left him in a breath. "It is very much my concern, Hermione, to know everything about you. Who hurt you? What makes you smile? What angers you such? Everything..."

"Why?" Hermione looked at Robb in confusion.

He took the last step towards, their fronts close to the other's but not quite touching. He lifted his hand and brought it around her nape, his thumb gently rubbing the apple of her cheek. "If you think about it long enough, _my lady_ , you might just understand why." With that said, he stepped back, making Hermione feel bereft of his touch.

He waited, watching her keenly, as she brought herself together and walked past him. "One of these days, I'll hex you Robb Stark," Hermione warned as she moved past him.

"Continue to call me by my given name and I will take any hex you throw my way, _Hermione_ ," he whispered back, but he knew she had heard him, the slight falter in her step gave her away.

 **AN: Okay, so the response for this story hasn't been too great... and while I'd hate to abandon a story, I'm actually considering doing just that if it's something not many are enjoying!**

 **My sis is getting married and I'm really hard-pressed for free time right now; so if not many are involved I will give this one up...**

 **Let me know if you'd like me to change my mind!**

 **Love,**

 **CrazyA!**


	8. Chapter 8

AN: Happy New Year guys!!

Chapter 08:

A couple of days had gone by since that incident and the Lord of Winterfell had received news of a direwolf in the woods. Despite being sure that there weren't any of them this side of the wall, the men left for the hunt only to come back with a litter of the pups, one for each of the Stark kids.

Hermione sat by the steps at the large ground, playing with Arya's direwolf, Nymeria she had named her, when a small grey pup bounded up to her and his sister.

"This one is Grey Wind. He's Robb's," Arya informed her, scratching the tiny grey pup behind his ears.

"A handsome little thing, isn't he, my lady?" Robb asked her, his eyes shining with un-suppressed glee.

Ever since the day they had fought in the woods, something between them had changed. Robb had started, dare she say it, flirting with her. And to make matters worse, she had started warming to him in ways unconceivable to her at the beginning of their tentative friendship. He had even started breathing in her scent every morning when he helped her with her bow and arrow, for crying out loud!

Hermione schooled her blush down, much to Robb's amusement, just as Ginny plopped herself down beside her. "Where's yours?" she asked looking at Jon.

Jon looked around and called out "Ghost," and a ball of white fur with red eyes ploughed his way towards them. "This one's mine, Lady Ginerva. I've named him Ghost," Jon announced looking lovingly at the pup by Ginny's feet.

"Of course you have," Ginny rolled her eyes while Hermione smiled at him, "I think it's perfect for him."

Ginny snorted, "You named your familiar Crookshanks, what do you know about appropriate names for pets?" Jon chuckled, Robb looked at Hermione in amusement and Arya rolled on the floor in laughter.

"Crookshanks? Really? What were you thinking?" Arya asked between gasped breaths.

"Well, her brother named his owl Pidwedgeon, Pig for short, do you really think I am the worst one still?" Hermione asked of Arya, who looked blue with the lack of oxygen in her system due to the long bout of laughter.

"No," Arya shook her head. "Not anymore."

"But I have to hand it to you, Arya, you chose her name well," Hermione smiled at the three pups playing in the mud ahead of them.

"Of course she did! I helped her after all!" Ginny sniffled in indignation.

"She did?" Hermione pouted when Arya nodded her assent. "Damn, I am reconsidering now," she joked. "What's Sansa's called?"

"Lady," Arya snorted in distaste, making the four young adults chuckle. "And the other two?"

"Summer and Shaggydog," Arya replied.

"Yeah, I think I'm going with Shaggydog," Hermione bobbed her head and picked up her book, laying it on her lap and opening it to the page she had held using her finger as a marker, making Arya chuckle some more.

"Bookworm," Arya and Ginny coughed in sync and cackled again at Hermione's expense, making her sigh and shake her head without bothering to lift her eyes off the book.

Jon looked low the next morning during their practice, making Ginny and Hermione wonder about his mood. "It's his nameday but Mother won't let him have a celebration at Winterfell," Arya explained after breakfast when the girls were forced into the sewing class. "I am really angry at her, but I don't know what to do," she shared helplessly with the elder girls.

Ginny at once left the class to find Lady Stark and give her piece of her mind. How could anyone punish a poor child, a mere by-product of someone else's promiscuity? Well, she was going to find out for herself! She left for the Lady's chambers.

Hermione on the other hand excused herself and sought Jon out.

"Fancy a walk, birthday boy?" she beamed at him.

He lifted his brow in question but motioned for her to walk along.

"Want to talk about it?" she asked after a few minutes of silence elapsed between them.

"About what, the nameday fiasco? No, thank you, my lady. My name isn't really something to be proud of, to celebrate, anyway, is it?" he asked with a shrug to his shoulders.

Hermione immediately laid her hand on his shoulder. "Never say that, Jon. You are a good man, and despite whatever name you bear you will always stay good. 'What's in a name? A rose called by any other name will still smell as sweet' a wise man will say a few centuries down the lane and this saying's going to take the world like fire, trust me."

"Doesn't help me now, does it?" he sighed resigned.

"Jon Snow! No more of that self-pity anymore!" Hermione sighed. "Okay, I am going to tell you something that only two of my best friends know, not even Ginny. In my world, we were in a war, and one of my best friends was the prophesized hero. As you can imagine, life with him was a rollercoaster, not that I'd change anything about it. Once, while we were on a secret mission, we were captured and my best friends were separated from me. They were tossed in the dungeons while I was held back, for torture, all because of my blood. The people we were fighting against, they believed they came from pure magic and wanted to finish off everyone like me, who were new into the world of magic, who had no magic in their blood through heritance."

"I was tortured for hours with the torture curse that is actually banned by our governing authorities. It lights a fire under your skin, melting your insides and the women who tortured me threw the curse every few seconds, lighting a new flame in me even before the previous one ended. And then she thought I needed to learn my place in the world and so she carved into my wand hand with a cursed dagger, I can't get the mark to go even with magic."

"Despite it all, Jon, I know I'm meant for more. Just as I know you are meant for so much more. Names, they are just that, something to help others bring themselves to our attention, they don't serve any other purpose."

"Didn't you once say you were one and eight?" Hermione nodded. Jon gave a half smile. "Do you really expect me to believe that tale of yours? Where a woman fought a war when she was younger than now, no less? I appreciate the gesture, Lady Hermione, I really do, but I do not need your pity, I have enough and more of its resources."

And with that Jon turned on his heels and walked briskly away.

"Hey Jon," Hermione called behind him, making him stop and turn to look at her. She gave him a sad smile and lifted her sleeve showing him the crude name tattooed on her creamy flesh.

"It says MUDBLOOD. It means someone of bad blood, someone whose blood is no different from mud. Someone who is bad and impure, someone who..." her voice cracked and she bit her lip hard to keep from crying.

"I don't lie, Jon. Never was good at it, and I am proud of that quality of mine. Think about what I said, okay? Make an oath to love yourself despite your flaws, on this birthday of yours." Saying that Hermione walked away, tracing the path they had come from, but at a faster pace this time.

That noon, when the household was slumbering in the warm sun, Jon sat alone by the boundary of Winterfell, rethinking his entire life plan, while Ginny slaved at the kitchen, careful to not use her magic to bake him a small birthday cake.

After blasting Lady Stark well, Ginny had found Hermione and they had both decided to surprise Jon on his birthday with a cake and a gift. Ginny had opted to bake while Hermione was to assemble him a gift. In the evening, they planned on tugging Arya and Robb along and surprising Jon with a small party in his chambers. Thinking he'd be mighty surprised, Ginny smiled behind the curtain of her flame-kissed red hair and twirled her hand this way and that and began baking in earnest.

Hermione sought Robb out, pleading with him to find her some steel. She had the perfect idea of a gift for Jon and she needed to start working on it quickly or she'd never be able to finish it in time. So she ditched her book on Targearyns, the dragon keeping house of this era and bent down on the steel Robb had obtained for her, wand out and pointing at the small ball of steel as she put in all her concentration into shaping the metal as per her mind's picture.

Lady Stark stood by the window in her chambers. The slip of a girl had threatened her in her own house and yet she hadn't retaliated. She was speaking the truth, Cat knew it in her heart. She had always judged the son for the father's sins and yet had laid beside said father and borne him four more children. She hated Jon, how could she not? He was the constant reminder of her husband's unfaithfulness, a look, even in passing, at him, boiled her blood because he reminded her that she wasn't enough. Ned wasn't meant to marry her. He hadn't loved her when he'd vowed himself to her. She was meant for another, handed to him only on second thoughts and Jon drove the point home, straight to her heart that she was only a duty to her husband when their lives together had started. He was the best husband in Westeros now, but back then... back then, he hadn't wanted her, he was only playing nice, that's all. But was punishing Jon for it right? It wasn't, she knew it wasn't, but could she really clean up her act as she aged so she would be granted a happy after life?

She wouldn't love him as her own, never could, never would, but could she at least turn a shade tolerant? Was there still any hope left? To assuage her sins, even in the slightest?

During dinner that night, Ginny whispered her plans to Arya who shook her head sadly. "Since mother said no for his nameday celebrations at Winterfell, Theon and Robb have taken him out for the night. They won't be back till the morrow," she informed them.

"That's sweet of them," Ginny smiled. "We'll surprise him tomorrow morning then. He'll get two days of celebrations this time," she shrugged and the girls went back to their dinner.

At night, Ginny put a stasis charm on the cake and Hermione put the small giftbox beside it, both lying down on their neighboring beds in the same room and slept. Just as Ginny shut her eyes off, Hermione whispered an incantation to silence her bed. After the details she had recounted for Jon that morning, she was sure she was going to be plagued by that mad woman's dreams all of that night.

Jon walked into the candle lit room where Ros, the prettiest and the most expensive whore in all of Winterfell, sat provocatively in the middle of the bed. She gave him a long look, parted her lips and ran her tongue around it to entice him and all he felt was revulsion.

When she pulled her shimmering see-through robe off her head, her naked body open for his perusal, he bolted from the room. He did not want Ros, as beautiful as he had once thought she was, he wanted another.

A feisty red haired witch from the future, who pulled pranks with his little sister, taught non-sense tricks to their pet direwolves, who annoyed and exasperated him and yet pulled a smile from him every single time. Shite! When had that happened?! He wasn't worthy of her, he knew. But.. oh, but how he wished he was...

Theon watched Jon storm out of Ros' room. A minute later she came flying down to fight with him, while Robb ducked out behind Jon to see what the matter was with his half-brother. Was he done already or had he not been man enough to go ahead and do it at all?

SPOILERS: Fireworks ahead!!


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 09:

A giggling Ginny and Arya walked ahead of a tired Hermione, the next morning, as they made their way down for breakfast.

Hermione was beat! She hadn't slept a wink the whole of the previous night and then she'd moved out of her warm furry blankets too early in the morning, to glamor charm her teabags and waxed skin.

She was in no mood for Ginny's rant when she started on and on about how careless Jon was, to not even meet his friends on his birthday, when Jon and Robb failed to appear at the table for breaking their fast.

And of course, Lady Stark just had to use that same day to break all hell loose over her new wards.

"In a few days is Robb's nameday. A lot of our allies will be in attendance. You two are our wards and thereby are under our protection and we shall provide for you too. But your age and lack of prospects are bound to raise questions. I suggest that you find yourselves a husband at the gathering if you wish to live amongst us for long. Old, unwed maids aren't treated too kindly in our world. Best to find yourself a husband while you still can."

"She's joking right?" Ginny asked wide eyed, as the Lord and Lady of Winterfell left the halls.

"No. You've got to marry soon. Women in Westeros have three kids by the time they are your age. What sort of a place do you come from where women are left to turn old without a prospect, I'll never understand. But don't worry, all our allies are noble men and with your beauty I am sure you will attract quite a lot of attention," Sansa patted Ginny's hand since she was sitting right in front of her.

"If it ever comes to that, I'll get Mione married," Ginny turned to look at Hermione. "What!" Hermione shrieked.

"Yeah, you're older to me after all. And once you're married you'll leave for your husband's place. We are a package deal, so I'll leave with you and be saved from an unwanted marriage."

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I don't want you two to leave Winterfell. Why don't you marry Jon and Robb? Then we all can just stay here together," Arya piped in.

"Oh, don't be absurd!" Sansa chided her younger sister. "Robb is the eldest Stark. He has to choose a daughter from a strong ally, someone who brings in more strength and a stronger standing. And Jon is a bastard. No self-respecting woman will marry him. There's also the question of his wish to join the Night's Watch. You do remember him asking for Father's permission, don't you?"

Hermione felt her nerve throbbing in her forehead while Ginny had a crazy urge to hex someone, preferably Sansa...

"We are going to see Jon for his nameday celebration, any of you want to come along?" Arya asked, completely changing the topic, all of a sudden.

"No. And neither will I let any of you go. Wait until Mother finds out," Sansa stood up in a huff and Arya ran behind her, pulling at her hair to make her stop.

"I need a walk," Ginny stood up after the younger Starks had left the halls.

"I need a pain potion, or else I'm going to pull a fainting spell," Hermione stood up, shakily.

"Let's walk till the Maester's cabin then. I get my fresh air and you can get your potion." Both the witches walked out of the castle towards the Maester's cabin, and that's where their world spun a .180 complete

"... had to cough up more money than when I do bed her because you couldn't man up for the deed," Theon looked lividly at Jon.

"Honestly, how could you leave a naked woman untouched? I thought you liked her.." Robb asked. "I don't want to talk about it.." Jon insisted.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Ginny turned red in her face with anger.

Hermione's already throbbing mind tried to put the pieces of the broken conversation together. It took her a second too long, but when she did piece it all in, she was furious! Her head ache pushed to the back burner, she pounced on the three men in tow with Ginny.

"You went to a brothel for your birthday celebrations? While we slogged in the damn kitchens preparing you a feast? Making plans to surprise you while you were away fucking a slut!"

"You stood back and watched while your friend gifted your brother a whore for his coming-of-age birthday bash?"

Both the witches looked on furiously at the three men they had come to consider as friends if nothing more.

Sensing trouble, Theon made himself scarce quickly enough.

Hermione felt her magic swirling around her because of her heightened emotions and she broke away from the party, moving towards the wood, not wanting to hurt anyone because of her lack of control.

Robb ran behind Hermione into the woods while Jon grabbed at Ginny's hand, pining her with a hard glare. "It's you. It's all because of you. You are ruining my life! All my plans, everything I'd dreamed of ever since I was child, it's all changing because of you!"

"What the fuck are you on about?" Ginny asked trying to shriek Jon's arm away.

Jon only tightened his hold on her. "I was going to be a man of honor, a guard of the Night's Watch. A man that finally made his family proud. A man wanted at the Wall by his family in arms. Needed there. Finally accepted. Then you came along! Since the minute I set my eyes on you, I knew you were going to be the end of me. And I was right. You've ruined my life, my dreams and left me wanting things I have no rights on. Why did you have to come here? Why did you have to turn my life upside down? Why did it have to be you?" Jon asked, his voice thick with accusation, yet broken with hurt.

"I didn't do anything! If you hated me that much, all you had to do was stay away. I never came to you, it was you who offered to teach us weaponry. We never came knocking on your door, asking for your help."

Jon snorted. "You wouldn't, would you? You are all self-sufficient, not needing a hand from anyone. It's mere mortals like me who have to suffer in the hands of the likes of you. I hate myself right this moment, you know, and it's all because of you!" he spat. "You make me feel, you make me crave for more. So much so, that even when I had the prettiest whore in the town, naked in front of me, all I could think of was you! How I didn't want to be with her, with anyone else for that matter but you."

Then his eyes gleamed. "Is this sorcery? Have you put a spell on me?"

And that was that. Ginny lost the last hold she had on her mind and slapped him. Hard. Right across his face.

"Don't you dare make such an accusation at me ever again."

Jon lost his last straw too. He pulled her to him, fisting his hand in her hair, bringing her close to his face. "Don't you ever do that to me again, witch," he warned and brought their lips together in kiss that was meant to punish her. Bruising both, their kiss turned frantic and ignited them both with emotions stronger than they could control. But finally his reasoning kicked in and Jon pushed Ginny back as if her touch burned his skin, making her stumble and he walked away without a backward glance.

In the woods, things were just as crazy. "My lady.." Robb ran behind Hermione, but her pace was surprisingly faster, despite her much smaller stature.

"Go away," she yelled just as they both ducked under the forest's cover. "Hermione.. will you please.."

Hermione turned around, her anger making her act up as she snatched her wand off its holster at her wrist and threw an avis oppugno at him, a spell of her own making that she'd only ever used once before.

Robb ducked as Hermione sent a flock of small yellow birds hurling his way, intent on attacking him. He managed to shield himself from most but a few still nipped his face and ears, but he was way past caring.

"Hermione... Mione... please.. just wait.. give me a chance to explain.." he begged, running behind her despite her hexing of him.

"Explain what Robb?" Hermione suddenly stopped and faced him, angry brown orbs looking on in accusation and betrayal at the frantic light blue ones. "How you can't stand up for your brother in front of your parents but decided holding his hand while he proved his masculinity in a pleasure house was important? How your lips are sown shut when he actually needs to hear two words of comfort from you but you were there giving him a piece of your mind because he did not fuck a whore?"

"Tell me, Robb, since I'm pretty sure she did not do a refund, did you at least get your money's worth after Jon walked out?"

"Mione.." Robb shook his head. "It wasn't like that. It was Theon's idea. I'd probably lost my mind, there's no other reason why I went along with it. I thought he'd best come of age this way, since he is planning to join the Night's Watch."

"Is that how you came of age, Robb? Upholding family traditions, are we?"

Robb winced at the double edged words and Hermione flinched away from him at his telling reaction. "You did..." she whispered brokenly.

"Mione.. It's nothing like what you're making it sound.." he brought his hand ahead to comfort her.

"Don't touch me. Don't call me Mione. You aren't a friend, you have no right to that name. You are no one to me Lord Stark, no one."

Robb's felt his head explode, heart shatter into pieces and knees give way as he knelt onto the forest floor and Hermione fled from his side, intent on putting as much distance between them as she could.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10:

The days after Jon's nameday, leading up to his own were agony for Robb.

Not only was Hermione still angry, she was just too furious on him to even be in his company. Both the witches had stopped sharing their meals with the family. His mother had asked after their absence on the first day, but since then no one mentioned them. If luck shined on him, he saw her sprinting away from everyone's eyes but most days even that was too much to ask. It was almost as if they had gone back to their world.

Robb was lost to the world, hunger, thirst, swordplay, archery, family, Grey Wind, nothing interested him anymore. All he wanted, needed, was her, the one woman bent on avoiding him like a great curse that was set upon the world by the Stranger himself.

Only one other person looked as miserable as him. Jon.

Robb had always prided himself on being a good brother even to his half-brother, but now, he wasn't so sure anymore. Hermione's words had hit their mark.

He picked up a bottle of mead from his Father's store and went to Jon's cabin, intent on repairing every relation in his life. If that's what she wanted of him, that's what he'd give her. Anything to win her back. He wouldn't stop till he had her back in his life.

That was that.

He wouldn't lie, he had thought of giving up on her, he had thought that he had ruined everything beyond repair, but the fact that his going to a brothel had hurt her so much, gave him hope. Maybe she did feel something for him too. Sometimes, he thought fondly that it was only her jealousy making her act up like that. Then he would chide himself for his wishful thinking.

He knocked on Jon's door. By his second rap, the door swung open. Jon scrunched his nose at his visitor.

"Robb? What are you doing here?"

"I got us mead to share," Robb shrugged his shoulders in reply and pushed past Jon to enter his chambers.

He stopped on seeing a small circular cake that was missing a piece, on the table near the windows with a small gift box beside it.

"The witches had thought of surprising me on my nameday. Arya brought it in the next day and insisted that a cut a piece of it for her. Lady Ginerva baked it and Arya wanted to try it."

Robb nodded, then jutted his chin towards the gift box.

"Arya said Lady Hermione made it herself. I haven't opened it yet."

"Go on, open it," Robb urged. He knew it was something forged with the steel he had procured for her, but he wanted to see the finished product.

Jon sighed and opened the box to reveal a small wolf pin. A shiny silver wolf made of steel with ruby red eyes. He smirked, it was Ghost. The only one in his life who really needed him, who was all his.

Rubbing his face furiously, Jon groaned. "What have I done, Robb? How did I land myself in this? I had it all, a love in Ginny, a friend and confidante in Hermione, and I messed it all up..."

"We both did, Jon," Robb rubbed his back. "We both did."

"Lord Stark, may I please have a word," Hermione broke into the library, she rarely ever ventured here these days but today was different. Both, Ginny and her had realized there presence was not helping anyone here and so they had taken the decision to leave.

For the first time, without actually finishing their mission. With no news of the White Walkers to take back to Kingsley. They were ashamed but they were realists. Staying locked up in their room was not helping them get anywhere near their goal, so they had decided to go back where they belonged.

Back home.

Funny how hollow that felt when talking of their long lost lives. But all the weird feelings of not

belonging there anymore were quickly squashed by both the witches.

Robb, Jon and Maester Luwin were in a consultation with Lord Stark when Hermione burst through the library doors. Robb's heart launched itself in his throat at her sight and the sound of her voice while Jon looked discreetly beyond her to check for another's presence.

"Yes, Lady Hermione. What is it that you wish to discuss?" That startled her. "You want me to speak here? Now?"

"Whatever you say will go back to them either ways," Ned said, eyeing the girl carefully. Something seemed off.

"We've decided to go back. Your guests will start arriving soon and as much as we do not wish to cause you any problems, we definitely don't wish to be married off to strangers either. Once we go back, we'll inform our superior and he will ensure that an eye is kept out at Westeros at all times. If there ever is any news of White Walkers, we'll be back to help you fight them."

"You're leaving?" Robb looked at Hermione in shock, then turned pleadingly to his father. "Father, I do not want nameday celebrations, if it's making them leave." I do not want another gathering in my life, for any of my future namedays, just make them stop, he pleaded to his father with his eyes.

"Of course, you don't," Hermione smiled tightly, giving Robb a fleeting glance that didn't quite let their eyes meet. "You'd rather be out with your friends, gallivanting and making merry."

"Hermione, I told you..." Robb began helplessly but his father cut him off, not wanting to witness a debacle between his love-sick son and the witch.

"Coincidentally, that's exactly what we were discussing," Ned looked at the girl.

"Our departure?" Hermione turned towards Lord Stark in surprise.

"No, my lady, the White Walkers," the Maester said. "Some of our men have found a deserter who claims to have seen the Night Walkers. They are getting him to the clearing for his punishment. The Lord and his men were just about to leave for there, actually.."

"I am sorry, are you implying that you will be executing him?" Hermione stared Ned right in his eyes when she asked him the question.

"A beheading, yes, Lady Hermione. He deserted his station, he has to pay for it with life," Ned answered just as stoically.

Hermione's eyes slightly widened.

"Between all your past wars and the future ones, don't you think there've been enough deaths that you wish to raise the number?"

"That's enough I think, my lady." There was a fair warning in Ned's tone.

Hermione breathed in, counting backwards from ten and then twenty for her own stresses. "Then I must insist you to take me along."

"A chopper's block is no place for womenfolk," Ned replied.

"I think we all must stop putting Gin and me in the same bracket as the rest of the womenfolk of Westeros. I need to speak with this man and if he is not going to brought down here, then I'll go to him. While you, my Lord, can look me in the eye as you take an innocent life," Hermione challenged the Lord of the Manor.

Ned's eyes narrowed in anger but he held his emotions in check. She was not from here, she didn't understand their ways. In her own ways, she was brave enough to stand up to the Lord of the Manor, he rationalized. Foolhardy, yes, but brave. He sighed.

"As you wish, Lady Hermione. We'll be down at the stables in a moment."

Dismissed, Hermione left the library, shutting the door off as she left the room she had once loved the most in the castle and walked down towards the stable where they kept their horses.

First that, now this, then a beheading. Oh joys of the unkind era!

She looked over in concern at the horses, her nose creasing in her frustration.

"Not a fan of riding, my lady?" Theon asked, leaning casually against a pillar of the stables.

"No, can't say I am. I haven't really ridden a horse ever before, actually," Hermione replied.

"And are you intent on riding one now?"

"I think I'm going to have to, really."

"Share with another rider then. That way you can learn how to control the reins." Theon offered, "Why don't I teach you? I am a fair rider, give it a go with me, I'll teach you a thing or two."

Hermione loathed to admit it, but she was unsure if there was some sort of double meaning to his words. And she had never really liked the way he eyed up every girl, Ginny and herself included. So..

"I think.." she started.

"That's a good idea Theon, but I think she can do with a better rider than yourself to teach her the art of horseback riding. She can share with me as we go into the woods to the executioner's block."

"You're bringing a lady along? To a beheading? Does Lord Stark know?" Theon looked his best friend in shock.

"She sought his permission herself," Robb deadpanned, without looking at any of the habitants of the shed, at the moment. He only walked to his horse and pulled at his reins after checking the security of the saddle.

"Will your friend be joining us, my lady? Can't imagine her being any better at horse riding, she could share with me then," Theon offered.

Jon clenched his hand tightly around his horse's reins, but Hermione put him out of his misery when she said, "No, Lord Theon. She won't."

"I haven't seen her around for a few days now, is she alright?" he pressed, in a rare show of concern.

Hermione smiled tightly. Yes, Ginerva Molly Weasley was just peachy! A ball of nerves, pulled so tight that she only snapped, cursed, cried, blamed, ranted, sobbed and then repeated the whole thing again, but right as rain otherwise. Her magic overload was making everything in their room burst into pieces at random moments, and she was using her magic to put the broken pieces back together with a heart-breaking expression on her sad face, but besides that, she was just perfect! Thank you very much!

"She's been a little.. indisposed?" Hermione's statement came up as a query instead when she saw Lord Stark enter the stable with his young son, Bran, in tow.

"Jon, look after Bran," he pushed Bran towards Jon and Robb went and stood in front of his father.

"Lady Hermione is not a rider. Would it be alright if she shared with me? For her safety.." Robb politely sought his father's permission.

Ned gave a look behind Robb, correctly deduced the situation when he saw Theon standing near Hermione and nodded at Robb. "Look after her," he said cryptically and mounted his own horse, kicking it to make it move forward, his entourage following behind him.

Robb stood before Hermione then, her eyes stoically avoiding his. "Let me help you up, my lady," he said formally and with an absolute 1800 flip on his behavior, he brought his hands around her waist to lift her onto his horse.

He felt her tremble at his touch, her face turning to his as she instinctively brought her hands to his shoulders. His eyes darkened and he felt himself swallowing his tongue at her nearness, but he held himself in check. Propriety demanded that he treat with respect in public, he couldn't allow any foul words about her circulating Winterfell, after all.

So he quickly lifted her off her feet and placed her on his saddle with both her legs on one side. He then jumped in behind her and his party left for the clearing near the mountains for the beheading.

His father brought the front, Jon the center since he was riding with Bran, so Robb stayed at the back of the congregation. When he saw none paying them any attention, he tried talking to Hermione again.

He brought his one hand away from the reins, controlling the horse with one hand alone and pushed the hair framing her face behind the ear that faced him. He then proceeded to gather her hair and drape it over her shoulder that was away from him. His light touch across her back made her shiver again.

She frowned, but his heart swelled with hope. She wouldn't be reacting thusly to his touches if she hated them, right?

"My lady, please don't leave for a world I can't follow you in.." he started and tried his best to convince her to stay till they reached the clearing; but much to his dismay she said precious little all through the way.

'The Deserter' as they all seemed to call the undernourished lad, stuck to his words, stressing vehemently that he knew what he had seen before he was beheaded.

Lord Eddard Stark looked Hermione in the eyes and said, "For desertion of his duty..." before he brought the sword down.

She would probably never tell him, but Hermione was thankful for the light touch of Robb's shoulders on her own. When Ned Stark brought his sword down, she instinctively reached for Robb's hand, squeezing it tightly in her own, as she watched a man being executed, his head falling straight off his body into a basket kept in front of the large stone slab.

She refused to let the tears fall, but when Robb pulled her into his chest and rubbed her back, she let him, letting the warmth from his boiled leathers seep into herself, taking strength from his jerky comforting gestures, as she continued to refuse an outlet to her tears.

"You are a very brave lady, Hermione. Not many could have stomached that," he was whispering softly when she heard herself say, "Unfortunately, I've seen worse."

He stiffened at her words and she knew her minute of respite was over. She stepped back from his arms and walked towards his horse mutely while he traced her steps.

He lifted her off her feet again, but on the journey back, neither spoke a word to the other.

He understood her somber mood and did not press her to stay, instead he used that time to feel her shoulder and arm as it brushed against his chest and thought of other strategies that he could use to make her stay back with him, and not leave his world.. not yet.. not ever, if he ever had a say in that matter.

He would beg to all the Old Gods and the New ones to keep them together in life and even in death, he promised, as the walls of Winterfell came in to view.

"We're home, my lady," he whispered softly in her ear, bending his head down and then kissed the side of her head. "I won't let you go back, Hermione," he promised as he picked her off his horse and set her back on land. His lands. And soon, he'd make them hers too..

He promised.

AN: Visit to The Wall coming up next!


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11:**

Hermione walked straight to her room, where Ginny laid on bed with tear-stained cheeks and swollen eyes.

"There's been a sighting of White Walkers beyond a place called The Wall. I am going to check it out."

Ginny's head immediately snapped up and she rubbed her eyes dry. It took her a few minutes to gather herself but at last she managed it. "When are we leaving? And how are we going to get there?"

Hermione stopped looking into her beaded bag to confirm about all her essentials, and turned her head upwards to look at Ginny instead. "You want to come?"

"Of course!" Ginny replied instantly. "That's why we are here, right? And all this unused magic in me is only aggravating me more, if we go then I can even use off the access, it'll take off the edge, at the very least.

"Are you sure?" Hermione asked, still looking doubtful.

For reply, Ginny got off the bed and dusted her dress. "Give me ten and I'll be ready."

"There's a picture of The Wall in a book in the library, we'll have to use that as a reference point and apparate. Hopefully, even Lord Stark will be there, so we can speak to him and leave right from there."

"Be back in a flash," Ginny nodded and moved to the washing area of the room to freshen herself up.

Hermione watched her go with a small frown but said nothing, instead continued looking into her bag. One could never be too careful, she always believed.

"WHAT!" Robb could just not believe what he was hearing from his father. "You let them go? All by themselves? _To The Wall_? The place that's full of thugs and rapists? All without an escort? _Why_?"

"That was the reason of their visit, wasn't it?" Ned calmly replied.

"But father…"

"Robb!" Ned massaged between his eyes. "They will be using magical transportation. They don't need escorts, any and all of us would've only been a hinderance for them. I sent a letter with them explaining everything to Benjen, he'll make sure they are alright, he is after all, a Stark – bound to protect them while they are here.

"But…"

"If there's nothing else, Robb, I'll see you at dinner tonight," Ned, finally having had enough through the day, cut his son short and left the room for a long walk around his lands, the only thing that always managed to calm him down and help him think.

Truth be told, he wasn't comfortable with the two witches travelling by themselves either but they had refused to take a _muggle_ along, not wanting to complicate their sensitive mission and he had had no choice but to let them go, he'd almost forced them to see his brother while at The Wall and handed them a letter to take to him, explaining everything to him through it.

Ned Stark sighed and kept walking, letting the familiar breeze take his worries away. _Uh, if only…_

Ginny and Hermione landed on their feet and shivered like tongs hit on bells.

"COLD!"

"Fucking cold!"

With shivering limbs, they kept an arm draped around their middle as they fished out the heaviest cloak from their bags and set several heating spells on it and on themselves before they did anything else.

Then, they looked around, their eyes widening in marvel.

"This is…" Ginny tried but couldn't find words potent enough to describe the majestic sight of the iced _wall_ that surrounded them.

"Can you feel it?" Hermione whispered, awe and reverence coloring her tone and making it go all soft. "The magic… even the air's thrumming with it."

"The wards are very strong. Stronger than I've ever seen. Even Hogwarts before and during the Battle is nothing compared to this," Ginny agreed.

"All protective. And very specific," Hermione whispered, her wand already at work as she drew small patterns in the air, trying to identify the wards.

Ginny shuffled a few feet away and began her own work, both witches working in silence as they tried to understand the magic in The Wall.

"Unbreachable," Ginny whispered after a few long hours, the sky dark on their heads.

"Almost," Hermione added thoughtfully. "Pure, unadulterated magic can still bring fractions of it down. But nothing besides it," she confirmed.

"What _is_ pure, unadulterated magic?" Ginny up-turned her eyebrow quizzically at the elder witch.

"The innate magic that magical creatures yields – like centaurs with their astronomy, unicorns with their blood, Phoenix with its feathers and dragons with their fire, to name a few."

"Do those creatures even exist in this era? I've only ever read accounts of Targaryen dragons but even they have been gone for hundreds of years."

"Hmm.. And to my knowledge, it's only the Dragon fire that is strong enough to take this place down, and even that will only be in parts. The wards are too strong for the whole thing to crumble easily."

Ginny agreed. Her scans of the wards had shown similar results. "Time to get in and see Lord Benjen." Ginny then scowled as a memory flashed in her mind. "Let me also see what is so special about the Night's Watch that Jon…" she trailed off sniffling and Hermione squeezed her shoulder in comfort. Ginny flashed her a small smile that looked more of a grimace. "I hope I get over him soon enough. I can't.. I can't go on like this, Mione."

"It'll get better," Hermione patted her back.

"It better," Ginny huffed, "Or I'll put all my brothers on his case and be done with him for good."

They started walking slowly towards the entrance at The Wall, hoping there'll be a guard there to take them to Lord Benjen Stark. They didn't really want to apparate at the top, not knowing how many muggles would be by the edge and neither fancied the idea of camping in the deep snow.

"That bad, eh?" Hermione winced.

"It's like I'm 10 again and in love with a guy who broods so much better and is far more impractical a choice than Harry ever was. And my feelings are just multiplied a hundred times over. I never realized it until I heard he'd been with a whore the night of his birthday, and then we fought and he kissed me and I.."

"Wait.. What? Jon _kissed_ you? Then why have you been moping?" Hermione asked incessantly.

"I don't want to talk about it," Ginny hung her head low and walked faster, to get away from the conversation.

Hermione looked from the back of her red-headed friend to the footprints she was leaving on the snow, sighing then, she traced her steps.

In all his time with The Watch, Benjen Stark had seen a fair deal of folklore come to life but when two witches from the future turned up at Castle Black with a letter from his brother, he started questioning his own sanity, until he read Ned's letter and understood that their family stories, weren't simply legends after all.

 _Every legend has a grain of truth in it_ , he acquiesced grudgingly.

"So, my ladies, how can I help you?"

The ladies in question straightened and cleared their throats making Benjen inadvertently brace himself. He just instinctively knew he was not going to like what was coming.

"We'd like a room for the night, if you please," the red-haired witch, Ginerva, requested formally.

"And we'd like to know the location that the man who was .. – the deserter, as they called him at Winterfell.. we'd like to pick their trail and need to know which way he was headed."

Lost in thought, Benjen nodded belatedly. "I can have the location by sun up at the morrow, you can stay at the Castle Black for the night, but I must warn you, most men of The Watch now aren't real gentlemen, and I would like for you to keep your rooms bolted at all time during the night."

"We can protect ourselves, Lord Stark."

"Thank you for your concern though."

That done, Benjen Stark led the two witches out, towards the visitor's rooms and showed them one that would be sufficient for them for the night.

"Light the fire and keep the door bolted. I'll come for you in the morning," he said in lieu of goodbye and was gone in flurry of black coat.

"Long nose, black hair, black eyes, black flurrying coat, cryptic talks, remind you of someone?" Hermione joked and pulled a small smirk from Ginny in response.

"I've got some canned soup with me. Let's heat that up, eat and sleep. Something tells me we're gonna have a long day tomorrow."

Ginny nodded and flicked her wrist to get the logs in the fireplace to burn and started a slow fire. Then she waved her wand in the air and placed a handful of heat charms in the room, while Hermione spelled the soup cans to heat up and then passed a can and a spoon to Ginny, both beginning their slow work on the hot soup, alternating between blowing off the steam off the thick concoction and warming their hands on the hot metal.

And to think winter hadn't even started yet!

The first light of the morning sun got a sharp rap on their door by one Lord Benjen and he summoned them to a hall closer to the visitor's side of the castle for the briefing in the morning.

"That team had started due north from the East side of the castle. It has been eight days since they left and if one of them made it to Winterfell, it would mean that they stumbled upon whatever they saw about two days after they left the Castle. That should put those things in.." he drew an imaginary circle with a long stick on the large map he had brought with himself, "somewhere around this area. If we leave now and ride through the night, we should be there by noon tomorrow."

"Did he just say _we_?" Ginny whispered to Hermione.

Hermione nodded her answer. "Am sorry, Lord Stark, but we can't pull you out of your duties here at Castle Black. We'll be fine by ourselves. Just point us in the right direction and we can take it from there."

"I can't leave two young women unescorted to go beyond The Wall. There are things other than the prophesized White Walkers that lurk in the beyond. The Widlings for one are neither a welcoming nor a very forgiving bunch. It's best if I come along."

"But we ca…"

"My Ladies, I understand this is your mission, but I have some duties too. Not just as a man of the Night's Watch, but also as a Stark, I'm bound to protect you, so I will come along. Now that, that is settled, I'll have food sent over to your chambers. Break your fast. We'll leave shortly." And with that, Benjen was gone.

"I'll bet you my best broom that this guy is Jon's favorite one in the family!"

Hermione turned to look at Ginny curiously, "Why do you say that?"

"Brusque, curt, painfully gentlemanly yet has a Merlin may care attitude. He's got have gotten it from somewhere and it's not from Eddard Stark."

"I've heard their sister was the same."

"Hmm.. could be her then. But he's never really met her has he? But Lord Benjen has definitely been around most if his impressionable life. My money's still on him."

Hermione nodded thoughtfully. "You always turn conversations to him these days…"

"I've heard that happens in lo…. FUCK! Did I just….." Ginny slapped her mouth close with both her hands. "Oh by the Founders, but I'm doomed! How did this happen, Hermione? How could I have been so stupid?"

Hermione turned and took the shuddering form of Ginny in her arms. "Stay strong, Gin. Now's not the time. We have a mission to complete, a world to save. Later, we'll knock some sense into the brute. I promise I'll help you smack him, prank him, whatever you want…"

Ginny hiccupped but gave a small watery smile. "Won't my brothers be proud," she sniffled as they walked into the room.

"They sure will be," Hermione agreed, transfiguring a kerchief from some freshly fallen snow and handing it over to Ginny.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12:**

"We're done here. We've got the information about the White Walkers we came to seek. We're free to leave."

They'd found the ransacked village and seen the undead walk. Swiftly the two witches had sent hexes flying, slicing and cursing the walking dead around them. Benjen too had bravely ridden his horse forth and slayed as many as he could without getting caught in the crossfires of the witches. They'd heaped the broken limbs and torn bodies later and almost as an after-thought, Hermione had set the pile on fire, hoping it would grant them some sort of peace in their afterlife.

And what a grand idea that had been. In their cleaning up, they'd missed a couple of bodies and when the sun went down, they'd risen again, attacking the camp the three had set. It was only thanks to the strong wards Ginny and Hermione had set around their camping ground that had kept them away and warned the witches of the lurking dangers.

As one, the two had woken up and dashed forward, even before Benjen could open his eyes completely, they'd turned the two hellish corpses into ash.

"We need to get back and quickly," they'd told Benjen, though he'd figured that bit out himself.

"But we can't leave you alone here. Not when we know it's so unsafe."

"Forgive me, my ladies, but this is my area, and I can manage myself just fine," he'd insisted.

"Do you trust us?" Ginny had cut through the chase.

"With my life," Benjen had agreed in a heartbeat. He'd seen the women fight after all.

"Good," she'd nodded.

Hermione had begun her work on their horses during which Ginny had been talking to the crow. First, she had put the horses off to sleep with one quick spell and then she had miniaturized them and turned to her other two companions.

"We done here?" Ginny had nodded, pocketing all of their camping gear and zip the pocket. "Think only of Castle Black and brace your knees as soon as we hit the ground. Got it?" Hermione had next spoken to Benjen and on his nod, she had held his hand and the three had disappeared with two separate cracks.

Benjen had dry hurled as soon as his feet embedded themselves in the thick snow around the entrance to Castle Black.

"We'd love to come up for tea but we're hard-pressed for time," Ginny had grinned at him.

"We hope you stay safe and keep protecting your realm as you've always done. We might just see you again. Until then," Hermione had nodded with a smile and both the witches had cracked away again.

"You go get some sleep and I'll just check something up…"

"… in the library. I know."

That had been their farewell last night as they'd apparated back straight into their rooms in Winterfell.

And now, it was morning. Hermione had walked in just a few minutes back to find Ginny lieing dejectedly on her bed, her head buried in her pillow.

Hermione tenderly ran her hands on Ginny's hair, her ivory skin standing out in stark contrast against her fiery red mane. "Ginny.. sweetie, if you want to stay.."

Ginny shook her head and cut her off, burying her head under the pillow as a fresh bout of tears hit her.

"I can't stay here, anymore, Mione.. Not after…" she whimpered shakily, her body shuddering under the weight of her sobs.

If only Hermione could get away with murder, she would've happily murdered Jon just then. She didn't know what had happened between the two, but he'd managed to break her best friend's spirit, something not even Harry's initial rejections, when she was all of eleven, had been able to do.

Hermione hated seeing Ginny like this, and for that reason alone, she was glad they were going back.

If a pair of the lightest, deepest blue eyes ended up haunting her once she was back in her own world, well, she would deal with that when it happened.

Right now, her focus was Ginny.

Her eyes swept over the younger girl again and she smiled at her in encouragement as she finally left the warmth of her furs and climbed out of the iron bed.

Ginny returned her small smile after she wiped her eyes dry. "I'll pack up in here and go say bye to Sansa, Arya, Bran and Rickon afterwards."

Hermione agreed. "I have a some work in the library that I need to wrap up before we leave. I'll meet you back here in sometime."

Despite her mood, Ginny chuckled. "I doubt it. If your past history is anything to go by, _I'll_ meet you in the library in a bit to pull you out."

Hermione smiled and hugged her friend, then left the room and closed the door behind herself until she heard it click. She was absolutely sure Ginny would be using magic to pack all their belongings and she didn't want their cover blown now, when more of their kind were likely to visit the place soon enough.

Her roughened boots clicking on the floor, Hermione walked to the library, hoping against hope she'd meet the man she was looking for in there, this time alone.

Luck smiled in her, somewhat.

She found Lord Stark in there, but he wasn't alone. He was again in the company he had kept that fateful morning.

"Lady Hermione." He greeted her formally, this time his tone clipped, "To what do I owe this visit? Is it to update me on the success of your recent visit to The Wall?"

"Yes, in a way. We found what we were looking for. So, we'll be leaving soon enough. Ginny's packing up our stuff, but I had some last minute matter to discuss with you before I left, Lord Stark."

Robb's eyes glued to her, stunned, while Jon's head bowed down in guilt, his eyes looking at the floor in shame. Ned furrowed his brows at the witch – _this was not going to be good_ , he could feel it in his bones.

Maester Luwin wisely left the family and their guest to it, taking his leave from his Lord before he stepped out of the library and shut the door behind him.

Hermione, for her part, kept her gaze firmly holding the eldest Stark's, not once did she dare to look at the frozen man standing closer to her side of his father's desk. Though she felt his eyes boring holes into the side of her head.

With a whispered spell, while keeping his eyes, she was able to speak to Lord Eddard Stark straight in his head, eavesdroppers be damned. She would let him choose to tell this to family, not have them hear her telling their father to speak with them.

 _"_ _You need to tell Jon about his true parentage. He is dying inside everyday thinking of himself as a bastard, and honestly, it's now hurting my friend! And I won't stand to see her tears anymore."_

Ned Stark had seen a lot of things in his life so far, but this.. the experience of having this young woman's voice throwing instructions at him straight in his head! Well, that was something else entirely and he flinched at the first onslaught of her words, but slowly accustomed himself to it.

"How are you doing this?" he asked her instead.

She furrowed her brows. "Mind magic," she shrugged.

"What do you know and how?" he growled at her next.

 _"_ _I know the truth, because I read it right here in your library,"_ she replied in his mind again and summoned the books she was speaking of, placing them at his desk.

Ned looked down at the books and recoiled just a bit. Making an effort to keep his hand firm, he fingered the books lightly – Lyanna's last dairy, the Stark family book, the history of Targaryens.

"It wasn't difficult to piece the puzzle together after that," Hermione shrugged.

"I had these under lock and key in a partial hidden bookcase!"

"The most obvious place for someone looking for forbidden information, don't you think?" Hermione even threw him a cheeky grin. "I am a proud bookworm, my Lord, you can't keep books away from me for long."

 _"_ _I'll let you ponder over it for a bit while I say my goodbyes to your family. But if you don't tell him by supper tonight, I will make sure he knows all about it before I leave."_

"That, my Lord, I promise." Hermione was returning Lord Stark's calculating look with an icy one of her own when the door to the library burst open.

"Mione.. we have a situation…"

...0.0.

Not five minutes into the act, Ginny had finished packing their meagre belongings in Hermione's nifty little clutter-bag, as she termed her beaded bag to be.

She laid down every single item the Starks had conferred upon them on the bed in neat piles. She even went out of her way to clean the sheets and the room with charms. By the time she was done, no one could guess that the room was even inhabited for the past two months.

That's how she wanted it.

A clean break.

Nothing left behind.

Well, apart from the shattered pieces of her broken heart, that is.

She was leaving those with a young raven headed, curly haired boy with slate grey eyes.

Not that he had any use of it.

Quite the contrary, in fact.

 _Anyway_ , she shook her head, refusing to let her mind go back to being the mess it had been the past few days. She was going to be seeing her mum soon enough, and knowing Molly Weasley, she would take one look at her daughter and bring down the whole of Westeros and Essos to their knees for making her daughter cry.

So she cleaned up her face with the cool water in the basin and charmed her face to hide the traces of her grief, picked up the little trinkets she had set aside as parting gifts for the young kids she had started seeing as her own siblings and walked out the room after making sure she had placed the permanency charm on all the transfigured items.

Her good byes with the youngest of the Stark boys weren't too long but they did leave her teary eyed. They hugged her and asked her to stay for longer, even enquiring about Hermione. She kissed them on their cheeks and bid a goodbye, handing them both small transfigured quaffles that they could kick around in the courtyards.

To Sansa, she gave a clear mirror set in silver. It was her own, but she wanted the young girl to have it, knowing she'd love it far more. Sansa, too, hugged her fiercely, in a rare bout of emotional display and insisted she take one of her embroidered pillowcases along, something to remember her by, and Ginny let a tear slip and kissed the beautiful girl's forehead and left her room.

She steeled herself before entering Arya's room, and all hell broke in thereafter!

Arya was shocked and swiftly moved on to the role of a small teared-up girl, hugging Ginny tight, refusing to let go. She didn't even make a move to touch the soft, silk scarf, again one of Ginny's own, her team's scarf actually, given to all first string team members. When Ginny finally extricated herself from her hold and moved towards the door, a large ornate jar in the corner of the room burst suddenly.

Ginny halted in her steps, but knew in a second what had happened.

She turned, looking wide-eyed at Arya, who stood there with her hands covering her mouth, her eyes large with fear.

"Ginny.. please don't tell anyone. I don't know what happened. I.. I didn't do it on purpose.."

Ginny ran back to the girl who reminded her so much of herself and hugged her tight. "Don't worry, I with you all the way," she promised her. "But you need to answer a few of my questions, okay?"

"Let's find Hermione," she tugged at Arya's hand but she remained frozen at her spot.

"They'll kill me. I'll be outcast or burned. I'm scared. Ginny don't tell anyone.."

Ginny rubbed her arms and whispered softly but surely back. "I won't let anything happen to you. I promise. Between me and Hermione, we'll have you covered. We're a team remember, the three of us? We will protect you with our lives. But we can't help you if you don't let us. Trust me? Please.."

Arya nodded and quietly placed her hand in Ginny's who walked by her side to the library.

Ginny didn't bother knocking on the door, she threw it open and looked right at her friend.

"Mione.. We have a situation.."

Hermione's eyes left Lord Stark's and moved between Ginny's firm ones and Arya's fearful ones, lingering on the tight clasp Ginny had on the little girl's hand.

She saw Arya shaking like a leaf in the wind, her eyes trained on the men of her family.

Hermione looked at Ginny again who softly whispered the words that changed their lives forever.

"Mione.. she's one of us.."

 **AN:** I know, I know, it is positively wicked of me to just leave it at that... but hey, I gave you two chapters worth of material for a Sunday, didn't I?

Now, be kind and help your bored author read something nice. Recommend some _completed_ works of Hermione with ...literally anyone... Pretty please? (yes... I am batting my eyes here!) I'd love to read her with Oliver, Charlie, Sirius (with or without time travel), Edward Cullen, Jacob Black or OC but I'd even take Draco, Theo, Blaise... honestly anyone... Thanks in advance!


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 12:**

Everything suddenly made so much sense!

Kingsley's insistence on speaking about their witchcraft only to the Starks.

There needing to be a Stark at the Wall and at Winterfell.

Their easy acceptance of magic, despite their initial weariness.

 _How the fuck did I not see this earlier?_

The Starks had magic in their blood!

It had thinned out over the years. What with the eligible witches being burned at stake and then they having to marry muggles, but they still had the magic in them. A quick spell had shown that.

Arya's was strongest, that's why the manifestation. Eddard Stark's was dormant, he was only a carrier of the gene. Robb's weak but he could still manage feats like warging, especially with his direwolf, something he admitted with a lot of blushing and fumbling. Jon's was restrained, as if he was willingly keeping it away, as if it was all awaiting a push or a trigger. It was a new aspect for Hermione and she knew she had to study about it more to understand it.

She was to test the other three Stark children under the cover of the night, after they slept.

But the diagnosis she did do, had assured them all of one thing.

Starks were _meant_ to have magic in their veins.

That's how they could protect their realm.

Kingsley Shacklebolt's words came back to her. "Keep a Stark at Winterfell… Embed yourself in their society… Do whatever it takes…"

Did he mean what she was thinking? Was that the reason why he had quickly relented to Ginny's request of sending the two of them here? While she trusted Kingsley, all said and done, he was a politician to boot. He had to be ruthless, first as the Head Auror and now as the Minister of Magic in a world that was deep in chaos. He was capable of it all. The underhandedness, the cryptic instructions..

"But did he really mean it?" Hermione whispered to herself, walking absentmindedly between two trees while tugging at the gold chain she wore around her neck. It had an ovular pendant that opened to the smiling faces of her parents. But for once she was not looking at the pendant wistfully, she was only toying with the chain while twisting her pout one way and another.

"Who meant what?" Ginny asked stepping in behind her. She had spoken to Arya at length about magic and how she could control it, giving her a few insights into Hermione's and her own lives as witches. And after a long time, she had finally fallen asleep.

While both Ginny and Hermione would have preferred to speak to Arya together, Hermione's insights as a muggle-born, even if they were from a different era, were probably more helpful for the girl, but they divided up. And since Hermione was much better than her in diagnostic spells, Ginny had walked out with Arya while Hermione had checked on the men.

Hermione quickly brought Ginny up to speed with all her findings and her suspicions and they both sat down on the ground wondering of the way ahead.

They wouldn't be leaving Arya behind, not now, not like this. Yet, they couldn't very well take a minor away from her parents.

"We're stuck here," Hermione spoke their thoughts aloud.

"And we need to introduce magic into the Stark bloodline. We might be here now, but for the future.." Ginny let her statement hang in the air around them.

"We're so screwed, Ginny."

"So.. so.. screwed, Mione."

The afternoon had been _eventful_ for Jon. Well, he wasn't Jon, though, was he?

After Ginerva had announced that Arya had a situation, a number of thoughts had run through his mind, none of them good. He'd always been most protective of Arya anyway.

Then Hermione had confirmed the one thing he had never considered. _His sister was a witch!_ Well, cousin actually.

Then, Hermione had left the men, telling them of their own magical ancestry and then she'd given _not his father_ a stern look and left the room.

For the first time ever, Jon had seen Lord Eddard Stark's shoulders slump. He had sent Robb to find his mother and asked him to get her back immediately to the library. Then during Robb's absence he had finally come clean about Jon's birth.

He wasn't a bastard.

He was neither Jon, nor Snow.

 _He_ was a Targaryen. His name was Aegon.

And to top it all up, he was the rightful heir to the Iron Throne.

He was brought up as a bastard only for his safety, because his _adoptive_ father had promised his sister on her death bed that he would bring him up as his own and keep him safe from Robert Baratheon and the likes.

Young Ned Stark hadn't known what to do and when he'd walked in the halls of his family home with a tiny buddle in his arms, his new wife had assumed the worst and Jon's life had been branded since.

He'd hurt for so long because of this.

But now that he knew, what was he to do?

To be honest, the knowledge of his parentage, had only brought in acceptance of his name.

He was Jon Snow.

Son of Ned Stark of Winterfell. Brother of Robb, Arya, Bran, Rickon and even Sansa.

Those facts were not about to change.

He finally understood what Hermione and then Ginny had been telling him.

 _Names meant nothing._

It was what he was on the inside, the true person, that was what mattered.

"A rose called by any other name would still smell just as sweet.." he remembered Hermione quoting an author from her era.

And he didn't even want to think of facing her fierce friend again.

But he knew he had to.

He had a lot of apologies to make to that feisty witch.

 _His feisty witch_. He smiled.

He'd make her his, he promised himself.

He had stayed away, thinking he had nothing to offer to the striking beauty.. not even a name. But now, things had changed. He had a name to give her. _Hells_ , he had a _throne_ to give if she so wanted it! He'd fight unto death for her, he knew that now, just as he'd known that earlier too.

What changed was that now he was at liberty to tell it to her.

 _But where was she?_ Somehow he just knew this was going to be a common practice between them. He'd be bursting with news to share and she'd be busy elsewhere breaking hearts with his sister in tow. He chuckled at the image.

Jon combed through most of Winterfell at a frantic pace and found her crouching on the hearth beside her friend, both of them lost in some gloomy thoughts, he could tell by the resignation he saw in their features.

"My ladies," he cleared his thought.

Hermione took one look at Jon and knew Lord Stark had finally come through for his nephew. She flashed him a radiant smile, looked at the frozen form of her friend beside her, then excused herself. Taking Jon by surprise when she engulfed him in a warm hug and then threw him a naughty wink.

"Good luck, Jon. You're really going to need it," she whispered beside his shoulder as she made her way back to the castle, leaving the two behind her.

"Go away, I don't want to speak to you."

"You don't have to. Just listen to me.."

"GO… AWAY!"

"No! I won't. You can bat boogie me if it'll make you feel better but neither of us is leaving before I'm done talking."

Ginny raised her brow, regarding Jon speculatively. _It must be important,_ she reasoned. No one had ever voluntarily taken her hexing before. "Why?"

"Because.. I acted as a scared boy, who had nothing to offer but everything to lose. But now, I do have a name to give you. If only you'll take it."

Ginny looked up at that in shock and Jon knelt beside the woman who had his heart since the day he had stumbled upon her in Wolfswood. He had tried to keep his distance since, but she'd wormed her way into his cold heart, warming him up from the inside. Seeing her playing mischief with his sister, learning arms in the darkness, making jests with the only family he'd ever known, something bitter inside him had melted away, leaving a shining beacon in its wake.

He's pushed her away once. Hurt her badly. But he would never do it again, if only she'd give him another chance.

He kept his stance, staying at a decent distance away from her should they have any onlookers, and then narrated everything of his talk with his _uncle_ about his parentage to her.

Quite unladylike, Ginny whistled. "And I thought my afternoon was busy."

Jon's lips twitched. "So, what do you say, my witch? Will you be my queen?"

Ginny smirked. "How do you wish it!"

"What do you mean?" Jon asked, bracing himself for the rejection he thought was coming his way.

"I mean, no, Jon, I will not be your queen. Absolutely not. I don't need a crown and if you ever do, I'll transfigure one for you," she joked cheekily. "I've never wanted you as anyone else Jon. Not that Aegon Tiger.. whatever. I've only wanted you – Jon Snow, the broody, angsty, young man whose eyes twinkle when he looks at his sister playing pranks, who can't hold himself back when someone needs him – even if it is women practicing forbidden weaponry in the dark. I've loved that man, Jon, uncaring of his name."

Jon opened his mouth to speak, but Ginny shushed him with a finger on his lips. "But, if your last name bothers you so much, we can always change it to Weasley. You'll be one soon enough anyway," she winked at him.

"You'll marry me, then?" he asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Only if you promise me we'll have lots of Jons and Ginnys running about in our house."

Jon couldn't hold himself back. He threw his head back and laughed. "I'll give you as many little Jons and Ginnys as you want, but they won't be Snows, _that_ I promise," he said and looked heatedly at the witch who was glowing with happiness, looking radiant as she was sat there in front of him.

"Are you waiting for an invite to kiss me?" Ginny finally snapped when she realized Jon wasn't making any move towards her, just staring at her lips instead.

"I don't think I can stop at one kiss right this moment, and I won't dishonor you or hurt your virtue by being with you before our wedding night."

Ginny's face pinched over. "Jon," she laid her small, fair hand on his black boiled leather tunic, pushing him back a little so she could look him in his eyes, "If you are expecting a virgin bride, you've got the wrong girl. I've been with boys before."

This time Jon's face pinched. "You have?"

Ginny nodded. "I've dated four and slept with two. You won't be my first."

Jon considered her words and then looked at her again. "Well, as long as I'm your last…"

Ginny flashed him a bright smile. "That can be arranged," and she pounced on him.

Jon fell off his crouch, with his back pasted to the ground, cradling Ginny over him. "Witch! We're out in the open, maintain some decorum. I want to make an honest woman of you, not a whore!"

Ginny chuckled. "Oh, Jon, there's so much you need to learn. Hold on tight and don't let go, okay?"

"Never," he promised, looking into her big brown eyes that were brimming with love for him.

Ginny pulled out her wand and with a crack they were both gone. Disappeared into thin air.

Thankfully for them, no one saw the sorcery happening in a corner of the open grounds. The privacy charm Hermione had thrown over her shoulders when she left the clearing had shielded the two new lovers from prying eyes.


End file.
